Got a demand letter from an attorney?
Opening an envelope with "Notice of Intent to Sue" or a formal ADA demand letter can feel like a punch in the gut. The decisions you make in the next 24 hours will shape the outcome — don't panic, and don't ignore it.
Important notice
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you receive a demand letter or lawsuit, consult a qualified attorney about your specific situation.
6 steps you need to take
Know your response window
If your site was already remediated and only minor gaps were found, you typically have 30–60 days to fix them. For services that operate in a shorter timeframe, you must provide an immediate accessible alternative to the user with a disability.
Calendar reminders
Set calendar reminders so you never miss the deadlines in the letter. Log the date you received it and the response deadline (often 30 days) immediately.
Understand the complaint
Most demand letters cite one of three categories:
- Missing or weak accessibility statement — fix this immediately and publish an updated statement.
- WCAG barriers on the site — contact your accessibility vendor for remediation.
- Inaccessible documents (PDFs) — have your vendor remediate the documents to PDF/UA.
Contact your accessibility vendor
Reach out to your accessibility vendor for a comprehensive WCAG audit and a status report. If gaps are found, get a written remediation timeline — and make sure it fits inside the letter's response window.
Engage an attorney
Contact your attorney — ideally one experienced in ADA Title III defense — to plan the response. Never ignore the letter, and always respond to the complainant.
Respond to the complainant
We recommend running your reply by your attorney. A short, professional first response often looks like this:
"Dear ____,
Thank you for letting us know about the difficulty you experienced on our website. We're committed to making our site accessible to all users. To investigate the issue thoroughly, could you please share the following details:
- The browser you were using.
- The assistive technology (screen reader, etc.) you were using.
- The page(s) or task you were trying to complete.
- A description of the barriers you encountered.
In the meantime, we're conducting a full review of the site. If you need immediate assistance, please call us at ______."
Critical tip — Set your own response deadline
When you reply to the complainant confirming the site is fixed, set a firm deadline (e.g., 14 days) for them to confirm or raise new issues. Otherwise, opposing counsel can wait until day 59 of your statutory window, claim the fix was incomplete, and leave you no time to act.
We're here for you
We have deep experience handling these situations and we're happy to help you respond the right way.