Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired have been operating for 120 years in San Francisco. In 2017 they implemented ADP Workforce HR and Payroll software. Staff dependent on assistive technology, like screen readers immediately had issues. After years of attepting to resolve the issues, Lighthout for the Blind filed a class action suit against ADP in September 2020.

ADP were using AudioEye to assist them in making their software accessible. AudioEye is often refered to as Overlay software, it assesses your site and tries to correct accessibility issues before the user interacts with it.This approach is akin to correcting spelling mistakes in a document before it is printed, but never saving the changes. So, each time the document needs to be adjusted. The second issue is that software can't understand the intent of the creator. We have all had the spell checker trying to make changes that aren't needed or missed spelling mistakes because the word is correct, just not in that context.

ADP and LightHouse for the Blind have reached an agreement for ADP to resolve the issues. 

As part of the agreement, ADP will roll out the following changes to ensure the accessibility of its web and mobile applications for people who use screen readers:

  • Engage a leading web accessibility expert to identify accessibility barriers in ADP’s Workforce Now web and mobile products used by LightHouse staff.
  • Fix barriers identified by the web accessibility expert to ensure that individuals who use screen readers can navigate the website and app, access features of the website and app including the timekeeping functions, view pay, and benefits information, and participate in open enrollment.
  • For the purpose of this Agreement, “overlay” solutions such as those currently provided by companies such as AudioEye and AccessiBe will not suffice to achieve Accessibility.
  • Develop a policy to incorporate accessibility into development and testing of ADP’s products going forward, including procedures for manual testing, fixing Accessibility barriers prior to release of updates, and addressing accessibility-related bugs discovered post-release in a manner consistent with non-accessibility-related bugs of the same functional severity.
  • Provide training to ADP TotalSource employees and agents who provide user-side customer service to LightHouse on how to assist individuals who use screen readers with access to ADP’s products, including best practices when providing training to people with disabilities and specific instruction on providing technical assistance to screen reader users with respect to ADP TotalSource products.
  • Within two years, ensure that its web and mobile applications comply substantially with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), version 2.1.

Accessibility can be seen as a risk that companies try to mitigate through overlays and doing the minimum for compliance, or as an oppotunity to differentiate and lead within an industry to build brand and loyalty.


Read more:

- HR and Payroll Software Leader ADP to Enhance Product Accessibility

- LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired v. ADP TotalSource