How One Small Business Lost $19,000 Over an Inaccessible Website

Case Study: Kramer Knives

Summary of What Happened

Kramer Knives is a small, artisan knife-making business based in Bellingham, Washington.

The company was sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after a visually-impaired individual claimed they could not use the company’s website due to accessibility barriers.

Although the lawsuit was eventually dismissed, the business incurred substantial legal and technical expenses.

The case became a well-known example of how small businesses can be targeted for digital-accessibility violations, even when unaware of the specific requirements.

Specific Accessibility Errors

Based on public reports and common WCAG-related violations found in similar lawsuits, Kramer Knives’ website likely included issues such as:

• Missing alt text on product images, making it impossible for screen-reader users to identify products.
• Non-labelled form fields, which prevented keyboard or screen-reader navigation during checkout or contact form submissions.
• Low color contrast between text and background, reducing readability for users with visual impairments.
• No clear focus indicators for interactive elements such as buttons and links.
• Missing ARIA roles or landmarks, leaving assistive technologies without proper context for navigation.

These types of issues make a website non-compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards — the benchmark most courts reference when evaluating ADA compliance online.

The Expenses

Kramer Knives’ owner reported paying approximately $16,000 in legal fees defending the case.

They also spent around $3,000 on website accessibility updates, including new developer work, accessibility reviews, and testing.

That brought the total estimated cost to nearly $19,000 — not including lost time, business disruption, and emotional stress.

For a small, handcrafted business with limited online revenue, this was a significant financial setback.

How It Would Have Been Different with WBAG Certification

If Kramer Knives had been WBAG Certified through DAPEN.org, the outcome would have been entirely different.

1. Preventive Compliance
A DAPEN Accessibility Developer would have configured the website according to the Website Builder Accessibility Guidelines (WBAG) — ensuring proper alt text, color contrast, semantic structure, and accessible form navigation.

2. Legal Protection
Under WBAG Certified, DAPEN.org takes full legal responsibility for your website’s digital accessibility. That means all legal responses, attorney communication, and settlements related to accessibility claims are handled by DAPEN.org.

3. Cost Coverage
Instead of paying nearly $20,000 out of pocket, all related legal and remediation costs would have been covered under the WBAG Certified service agreement.

4. Ongoing Updates
WBAG Certified includes continuous monitoring and updates to maintain compliance as accessibility laws evolve — preventing the type of oversight that led to this lawsuit.

5. Peace of Mind
The business could have focused entirely on its craft, knowing that its digital accessibility and legal exposure were fully managed and protected.