Scheduled at 1:45 pm in Colorado F on Wednesday, November 19.
#41276Speaker(s)
- Ken Nakata, Principal, Converge Accessibility
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
This session provides a legal update on digital accessibility, reviewing how laws like the ADA, Section 504, and the Unruh Act apply to digital content. It highlights recent court decisions and emerging federal and state legislation, helping participants understand evolving compliance risks. Designed for legal, IT, and policy leaders looking to stay current in a rapidly changing legal environment.
Abstract
Navigating digital accessibility laws is more complex than ever. Between federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state laws such as California’s Unruh Act, organizations often struggle to understand their obligations—especially as courts and legislatures continue to reshape the legal landscape.
In this session, Ken Nakata—a former Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice who led its web accessibility enforcement efforts—returns with a legal roundup drawn from his popular blog at ConvergeAccessibility.com. Ken will highlight the most important legal and legislative developments from the past year and explain how they affect compliance strategies for websites, mobile apps, and other digital services.
The session will begin with an overview of how foundational civil rights laws like the ADA, Section 504, and the Unruh Act apply to digital content. From there, the discussion will move into current legal questions and include how court decisions within the last year are influencing interpretations of digital accessibility. The session will then turn to emerging trends in federal and state legislation aimed at expanding digital accessibility.
This session will introduce digital accessibility law to newcomers, update experienced professionals working in this area with the latest developments, and help all participants understand where the law is headed next. It is ideal for legal counsel, accessibility coordinators, IT leaders, policymakers, and anyone interested in digital accessibility who wants to stay ahead in a rapidly changing legal field.
Keypoints
- Understand how major accessibility laws apply to digital content
- Learn about recent legal and legislative developments
- Identify trends shaping future digital accessibility compliance
Disability Areas
Topic Areas
Legal, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Ken Nakata
Ken Nakata is a technology-focused civil rights attorney. His work focuses on web accessibility from both a legal and technical perspective. He also helps organizations manage the change towards accessibility in all aspects-including crafting policies, developing stakeholder ownership, and forging awareness and commitment to the legal and business case supporting accessibility. Ken worked for twelve years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. He has argued on behalf of the United States government many times before the federal courts and has helped shape the government’s policies for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. In addition to litigation, he also helped developed many of the Department’s policies, including Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities and which reflects the Department’s current view towards ADA compliance for state and local government websites. Ken is a frequent speaker on both law and technology and is equally adept at conducting one-on-one workshops with programmers and developers as well as explaining law and policy to large audiences. He is a Founding and former Board Member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). Ken is admitted to the bars of New York, Washington, and the District of Columbia and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the Johns Hopkins University. He is also certified as a privacy professional with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Principals (CPACP) with the IAAP, and a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform.