To sue or not to sue
At first glance, providing the public with the right to sue government agencies that fail to comply with Section 508 standards might seem to invite a landslide of litigation.
At first glance, providing the public with the right to sue government agencies
that fail to comply with Section 508 standards might seem to invite a landslide
of litigation.
Look for long lines at federal courthouses next spring as individuals
and advocacy organizations and their lawyers wait to file suits, said a
World Wide Web page designer. "There are groups just waiting to sue," he
said.
But perhaps not, say others who have studied Section 508 carefully.
Although anyone can sue, there appears to be little incentive in Section
508 for an onslaught of legal action. Compensatory and punitive damages — the big-dollar elements in most lawsuits — "will not be available to prevailing
plaintiffs," according to lawyers for the American Foundation for the Blind.
"Declaratory and injunctive relief" are the law's main payoff. That
means if an agency is found not to have complied with Section 508 accessibility
standards, a judge may order it to come into compliance.
The biggest reward for winning plaintiffs would be the satisfaction
of forcing an agency to do the right thing. They may also be able to collect
"reasonable attorneys' fees."
That's it.
Even if an agency's violation of Section 508 was deemed to be intentional
discrimination, "the Supreme Court has held that Congress has not waived
the federal government's sovereign immunity from damage awards," foundation
lawyers said.
"There won't be any money settlements," agreed Doug Wakefield, an accessibility
expert for the federal Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance
Board.
But the threat of lawsuits gives agency officials plenty of incentive
to try to comply with the 508 standards.
Getting sued is hardly career enhancing, and it can mean being tied
up in court for years, Wakefield said.
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