Romance Author Website Accessibility: 7 Lawsuit-Proof Fixes You Need Right Now

Last month, a small business owner in Florida got hit with a $75,000 lawsuit.

The reason? Their website wasn't accessible to people using screen readers.

Not a scam. Not a competitor being petty. A legitimate lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

And here's the part that should make every romance author pay attention: you're not exempt just because you're "just an author" with "just a website."

You're running a business. You're selling products. You have a commercial website.

Which means you could be next.

I'm not saying this to freak you out (okay, maybe a little). I'm saying this because website accessibility lawsuits are increasing, and most romance authors have no idea their websites are vulnerable.

The good news? Most accessibility fixes are straightforward once you know what to look for.

Let's break down what's actually happening, why it matters, and the 7 fixes you need to make right now.

Why Websites Are Getting Sued

The ADA requires that businesses make their services accessible to people with disabilities. And yes, your website counts as a service.

Courts have ruled that if someone with a disability can't access your website to buy your books, join your newsletter, or read your blog, you're discriminating—even if you never intended to.

The most common lawsuits involve:

• Blind users who can't navigate the site with screen readers

• Users with motor disabilities who can't use a mouse

• Users with visual impairments who can't read low-contrast text

• Deaf users who can't access audio/video content

Here's what makes this scary: you don't have to be a big publisher or bestselling author to get targeted. Lawyers literally use automated tools to scan websites for accessibility violations, then send demand letters.

Small businesses. Solo authors. Anyone with a commercial website.

And the settlements? Anywhere from $5,000 to $75,000+, plus legal fees.

What "ADA Compliant" Actually Means for Author Websites

There's no official legal standard that defines exactly what makes a website ADA compliant (which is part of the problem).

But courts typically reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA as the benchmark.

Don't let the technical name scare you. It basically means:

• People using assistive technology (screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice controls) can use your site

• People with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities can access your content

• Your site works for everyone, not just people who can see, hear, and use a mouse

Think of it this way: if someone can't see your screen but can hear a computer read it aloud, can they still buy your books? Join your newsletter? Navigate your site?

If the answer is no, you've got accessibility problems.

The 7 Most Common Accessibility Violations (And How to Fix Them)

Most author websites have the same issues. Here are the big ones, in order of how often I see them:

1. Missing Alt Text on Images

This is the #1 violation I see on romance author websites.

The problem: Screen readers can't "see" images. If your image doesn't have alt text (a text description), screen reader users have no idea what's there.

Why it matters: If your book covers don't have alt text, blind readers can't tell what books you've written. That's a problem.

How to fix it:

• Add descriptive alt text to every image

• Book covers: "Cover of by showing "

• Author photos: "Photo of smiling in a blue sweater"

• Decorative images that add no information: Use empty alt text (alt="") so screen readers skip them

In WordPress: Click the image, look for the "Alt Text" field In Wix: Click image → Settings → Alt text In Squarespace: Click image → Edit → Alt text

This takes 5 minutes and protects you from the most common lawsuit trigger.

2. Poor Color Contrast

Romance authors love soft, pastel color schemes. I get it. They're pretty.

They're also often unreadable for people with visual impairments.

The problem: Light gray text on white backgrounds. Pale pink on cream. Lavender on light blue. Beautiful, but illegible.

Why it matters: WCAG requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

How to fix it:

• Test your color combinations with a free tool like WebAIM's Contrast Checker

• Common fixes: Make your text darker, your backgrounds lighter, or both

• Pay special attention to: body text, navigation links, buttons, form labels

You don't have to abandon your brand colors. Just make sure there's enough contrast between text and background.

3. Links That Say "Click Here" or "Read More"

The problem: Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from link to link. When every link says "click here," they have no idea where those links go.

Why it matters: Your navigation becomes useless for blind users.

How to fix it: Replace vague link text with descriptive text that makes sense out of context.

Bad: "I just released a new book! Click here to learn more." Good: "I just released a new book! Read more about Burning Hearts on the Books page."

Bad: "Read more →" Good: "Read the full blog post about direct sales strategies →"

The link text should tell users where they're going, even if they can't see the surrounding text.

4. Forms Without Labels

Newsletter signup forms are on basically every author website. And most of them are accessibility nightmares.

The problem: Screen readers can't tell what information goes in which field if the fields aren't properly labeled.

Why it matters: Blind users can't sign up for your newsletter if they can't tell which box is for their email address.

How to fix it:

• Make sure every form field has a visible label (not just placeholder text)

• The label should be programmatically connected to the field (your website builder usually does this automatically if you add a label)

• For simple email forms: "Email Address" should appear as a label, not just inside the box

Bonus tip: Make sure your "Submit" or "Subscribe" button actually says what it does. A button that just says "Go" or "→" doesn't tell screen reader users what happens when they click it.

5. No Keyboard Navigation

Some people can't use a mouse due to motor disabilities. They navigate websites entirely with a keyboard (using Tab, Enter, and arrow keys).

The problem: If someone can't reach your "Buy Now" button using only a keyboard, they can't buy your books.

Why it matters: This is a direct barrier to commerce.

How to test it:

• Unplug your mouse

• Press Tab to move through your website

• Can you reach every link, button, and form field?

• Can you tell where you are on the page?

• Can you activate buttons using Enter?

Common issues:

• Custom navigation menus that don't work with keyboard

• Image links without keyboard focus

• Dropdown menus that require hovering (can't hover with keyboard)

• "Focus indicators" that are invisible (you can't tell what's selected)

How to fix it: This often requires developer help, but make sure your theme/template is accessibility-friendly from the start. Most modern website builders (Squarespace, Wix, Shopify) handle keyboard navigation automatically—as long as you don't break it with custom code.

6. Missing Heading Structure

Screen reader users navigate long pages by jumping from heading to heading (H1 → H2 → H3).

The problem: Most author websites use headings for visual styling, not structure. You'll see an H3 followed by an H1 followed by an H2—whatever "looks right."

Why it matters: This creates a nonsensical structure for screen readers. It's like handing someone a book with chapters numbered 3, 1, 6, 2, 4.

How to fix it:

• One H1 per page (usually your page title)

• H2s for main sections

• H3s for subsections under H2s

• Never skip heading levels (don't jump from H2 to H4)

Example structure for a Books page:

H1: My Books H2: The Burning Hearts Series H3: Book 1: Burning Hearts H3: Book 2: Ashes to Ashes H2: Standalone Novels H3: Love in the Dark

In your website builder, make sure you're using actual heading styles, not just making text bigger and bolder.

7. Auto-Playing Media

The problem: Audio or video that starts playing automatically when someone lands on your page.

Why it matters:

• Screen reader users can't hear the screen reader over your video

• Users with cognitive disabilities can be overwhelmed by unexpected sound

• It's just annoying for everyone

How to fix it:

• Turn off auto-play on all audio and video

• Add visible play/pause controls

• If you have video content, add captions or transcripts

I know that author sizzle reel is gorgeous. But make it click-to-play, not auto-play.

Free Tools to Test Your Website Accessibility Right Now

You don't need to hire an expensive consultant to find out if your website has issues. Start with these free tools:

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)

• Go to wave.webaim.org

• Enter your URL

• Get a visual report showing errors and warnings

• This will catch most of the common issues

axe DevTools Browser Extension

• Free Chrome/Firefox extension

• Scans any page you're on

• Detailed explanations of each issue

Keyboard Navigation Test

• Literally just unplug your mouse

• Try to navigate your entire site using only Tab, Enter, and arrow keys

• If you can't reach something or can't tell where you are, that's an issue

Color Contrast Checker

• WebAIM Contrast Checker (webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker)

• Paste in your color codes

• See if they pass WCAG standards

Run your homepage and your main pages (About, Books, Contact) through WAVE. You'll probably find 10-20 issues immediately.

Don't panic. Most are easy fixes.

What to Do If This Feels Overwhelming

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it: making an existing website fully accessible can be a project.

If you built your site yourself in 2019 using a template you customized heavily, you might have dozens of issues.

Here's my advice on how to approach this:

If you're starting from scratch: Build accessibility in from the beginning. Most modern website builders (Squarespace, Wix, Shopify) have accessible themes—as long as you don't break them with bad practices.

If you have an existing site: Start with the low-hanging fruit (alt text, color contrast, link text). Then tackle the bigger structural issues (headings, keyboard navigation).

If you're not technical: Get help. This is exactly the kind of thing where trying to DIY it can make things worse if you don't know what you're doing.

Honestly? This is one of those areas where it's worth hiring someone who knows what they're doing. The cost of getting it wrong (a lawsuit) is way higher than the cost of getting it right.

The Thing Nobody Talks About

Here's what bugs me about the accessibility lawsuit situation: it's framed as scary compliance stuff.

But here's the truth: making your website accessible isn't just about avoiding lawsuits.

It's about not excluding readers.

There are readers who want to buy your books but can't because your website doesn't work with their screen reader.

There are readers who can't sign up for your newsletter because your form doesn't have labels.

There are readers who gave up on your site because they couldn't navigate it with a keyboard.

Those are lost sales. Lost readers. Lost connections.

Making your website accessible means more people can buy your books. More people can join your community. More people can become fans.

That's worth doing even if there were no lawsuits at all.

What We Do About This

Every website we build at Swoonworthy Designs is built with accessibility in mind from day one.

Not as an afterthought. Not as an add-on. As a baseline standard.

That means:

• Proper heading structures

• Alt text on all images

• Sufficient color contrast

• Keyboard navigation that works

• Clean, semantic code

• Forms with proper labels

• Mobile accessibility

And for existing websites? We offer accessibility audits where we'll:

• Run your site through automated testing

• Manually check keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility

• Give you a prioritized list of what needs fixing

• Explain what each issue means and why it matters

Want to know if your website has accessibility issues?

and we'll do a free 15-minute accessibility spot-check. We'll tell you exactly what needs fixing and whether it's DIY-able or if you need help.

No scary sales pitch. Just honest answers about your site.

The Bottom Line

Website accessibility lawsuits are real, they're increasing, and romance authors aren't exempt.

But the fix isn't that complicated for most author websites. Alt text, color contrast, proper headings, and keyboard navigation solve 80% of common issues.

Start with the free tools. Fix what you can. Get help with the rest.

Your readers with disabilities will thank you.

And you'll sleep better knowing you're not one automated scan away from a lawsuit.