are working to ensure your website adheres to those requirements for compliance.


Your website developer should confi rm that your site has been built to meet accessibil- ity standards. However, after making a risk assessment based on the age of your site and the level of support available from your developer, you can choose to contract with an accessibility professional who can meticu- lously evaluate your site against WCAG and then provide a report of any issues found. More specifi cally, you should ensure that your website complies with WCAG Version 2.1, Level AA.


Your professional dental and business liabil- ity insurer or state dental association can also be good sources for referrals to trusted web design and assessment vendors.


Just by making yourself and your practice team more aware of the issue, you are in a better position to ask the right questions when it comes to your website and lessen the risk of being caught in a targeted search.


A best practice is to designate a staff member to review the website at least once a quarter or at the time of any practice transitions to ensure:


• All hyperlinks are active and accurate. • Practice information is current. • Staff listings are up to date. • Content is a true refl ection of the practice.


• Any inactive sites or pages have been taken down.


Again, the staff member doesn’t need to be an expert in content accessibility but can be supportive of the practice’s eff orts to be attentive to its site, making it easier for pa- tients to fi nd the information they need and elevate any concerns.


WHAT IF A SUIT IS FILED AGAINST YOU?


While there are steps to take to mitigate your risks, you are never immune to the possibility of a demand letter or potential suit. But ef- forts to choose a vendor with a commitment to web accessibility or updating your site to be more compliant can reduce your chance of being targeted. And these eff orts can fa- cilitate an eff ective defense to the allegations


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and the dismissal of charges if a suit is fi led.


Policyholders with strong liability cover- age have the support of legal teams that can shine a light on plaintiff s’ predatory behav- iors, like fi ling suits against multiple practices they never intended to visit or that aren’t in their region.


Dentists are attuned and adaptable to meet the diverse needs of patients. While it’s unfortunate that a growing number of plaintiff s and their attorneys are leveraging AwDA compliance to pursue personal profi t, the trend still underscores the need to make the physical and digital practice experience accessible and welcoming for patients with disabilities.


Reprinted with permission of The Dentists Insurance Company; abridged from original article published September 2025. The original can be accessed at bit. ly/4alqWFs.


REFERENCES


1. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/ wcag/


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