What Does Accessibility Mean? Nuts & Bolts /Decoding Website Accessibility: What Every Attorney Needs to Know (Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Civil Rights Law Section)

Michael Silverman, Digital Accessibility Strategist | Consultant & Expert Witness

Michael Silverman is a digital accessibility strategist, consultant, advisor, and expert witness with 20 years of professional experience helping state governments, startups, small and mid-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 companies develop ADA-compliant accessibility programs, targeted remediation plans, and documentation built to withstand regulatory and litigation scrutiny. He has been retained as a digital accessibility consultant and expert witness by both plaintiff and defense attorneys to evaluate digital accessibility claims, assess legal exposure, build credible evidentiary records, and provide expert testimony. To date, Mr. Silverman has consulted on more than 140 digital accessibility cases across sectors including healthcare, hospitality, professional services, automotive and mobility, real estate and property management, retail and consumer brands, entertainment, transportation and travel, and technology — including AI platforms and Software-as-a-Service products. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, a Master’s degree with a specialization in assistive technology from Northern Illinois University, and is a Certified Professional in Accessibility through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP).

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Silverman holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa and a Master’s degree with a specialization in assistive technology from Northern Illinois University — an academic foundation that directly informs the technical depth of his accessibility consulting and expert witness practice. He holds the Certified Professional in Accessibility (CPACC) credential from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, the leading certification body for digital accessibility professionals. His 20-year career reflects continuous applied expertise in ADA Title III compliance, WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), assistive technology evaluation, and the technical and legal standards governing digital accessibility in litigation and regulatory contexts.

• Recognition & Leadership

Mr. Silverman’s recognition is grounded in his record as one of the most prolific digital accessibility expert witnesses in the country — having consulted on more than 140 cases across a wide range of industries and legal contexts, on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. His engagement across more than 140 matters reflects the credibility and utility that courts, litigants, and counsel have found in his methodology, technical accuracy, and testimony. His IAAP CPACC certification, his 20-year track record serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and his cross-sector expert witness record collectively establish him as a recognized authority at the intersection of digital accessibility and legal compliance.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. Silverman is a Certified Professional in Accessibility through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and remains actively engaged in the digital accessibility professional and legal
communities. His work spans structured audits, expert declarations, responses to opposing experts, and trial preparation assistance, covering WCAG conformance assessment, ADA Title III digital compliance program development, and accessibility documentation standards. He advises organizations on developing defensible accessibility programs and assists attorneys in building and responding to digital accessibility claims across industries.

• Experience

Michael Silverman has spent 20 years at the convergence of digital accessibility practice and legal compliance — a combination that makes him one of the most experienced and sought-after digital accessibility expert witnesses in the United States. His expert work spans more than 140 cases, representing both plaintiffs and defendants across virtually every sector in which digital accessibility litigation arises, from healthcare and retail to AI platforms and SaaS technology. His testimony addresses methodology, technical accuracy, and the alignment of the evidentiary record with alleged harm and legal exposure — the exact questions that courts and counsel need answered by a credible, neutral expert. His Master’s specialization in assistive technology, his CPACC certification, and his two decades of compliance program development combine to make him a practitioner whose credentials are as well-suited to the expert witness stand as to the boardroom.

Peter Bossley, President | Accessibility Ally Inc

Peter Bossley is President of Accessibility Ally Inc., a consulting firm providing digital accessibility services across a variety of industries in the public and private sectors. With 19 years of technology experience spanning information technology and digital accessibility roles, he brings significant depth to both consulting engagements and expert witness assignments. He has served as both a consulting and testifying expert in state and federal courts. Prior to founding Accessibility Ally, Peter led large-scale digital accessibility efforts at The Ohio State University, where he held institution-wide responsibility for the university’s digital accessibility compliance programs. He is a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals.

• Education & Credentials

Peter holds the Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) credential from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals — the advanced-level certification for web accessibility professionals that combines both the CPACC foundational credential and the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) examination. His 19-year career in information technology and digital accessibility, including his institution-wide leadership of The Ohio State University’s digital accessibility compliance programs, reflects a professional background grounded in both technical depth and large-scale compliance program management.

• Recognition & Leadership

Peter’s recognition is grounded in his record as both a consulting and testifying expert in state and federal court proceedings, his prior institutional leadership of digital accessibility compliance programs at one of the largest universities in the United States, and his IAAP CPWA certification reflecting the highest level of web accessibility professional credentialing. His experience at Ohio State — overseeing compliance programs with institution-wide scope and responsibility — reflects the organizational scale and technical authority that have made him a credible and effective expert witness in litigation involving digital accessibility claims.

• Professional Involvement

Peter is a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and engages actively in the digital accessibility professional community. Through Accessibility Ally Inc., he advises public and private sector organizations on digital accessibility compliance, assists with remediation strategies, and serves as a consulting and testifying expert in state and federal court proceedings. His prior Ohio State University leadership reflects sustained engagement with higher education accessibility compliance at the institutional level.

• Experience

Peter Bossley’s career spans 19 years across information technology and digital accessibility — a combination that positions him to address both the technical and compliance dimensions of digital accessibility disputes with equal authority. His tenure at The Ohio State University, where he bore institution-wide responsibility for digital accessibility compliance, gave him direct experience managing the scale and complexity of accessibility obligations that large organizations face — experience that directly informs his expert witness work in litigation involving similar organizational defendants. At Accessibility Ally, he has extended that expertise into a cross-sector consulting and expert witness practice serving clients in the public and private sectors, with testifying experience in both state and federal court proceedings.

Jessie Weber, Esq., Managing Partner | Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP

Jessie Weber is Managing Partner at Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, where she focuses on civil litigation nationwide with an emphasis on disability rights, fair housing, workplace justice, and appellate litigation. She has successfully litigated and resolved cases involving accessible technology and document formats, voting rights for individuals with print disabilities, access to health care and educational opportunities, and employment discrimination. Among her most significant matters, she represents blind students and the National Federation of the Blind in litigation against the Los Angeles Community College District, obtaining a jury verdict finding LACCD violated Title II of the ADA through inaccessible technology and awarding over $240,000 in damages to individual plaintiffs — a verdict recently reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was also part of the legal team in Robles v. Domino’s Pizza, LLC, achieving both a landmark Ninth Circuit decision clarifying that public accommodations must make their web and mobile services accessible under the ADA, and a subsequent trial court order holding Domino’s in violation and requiring remediation. Before joining BGL, Ms. Weber was a Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. Appellate Advocacy Fellow at the Public Justice Center, and before that clerked for Judge Catherine C. Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She serves as president of the board of Disability Rights Maryland and holds her A.B. from Princeton University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.

• Education & Credentials

Ms. Weber holds an A.B. from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Catherine C. Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, then served as a Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. Appellate Advocacy Fellow at the Public Justice Center — a fellowship focused on advancing justice for marginalized communities through appellate advocacy. These foundational experiences in federal court practice and public interest appellate work directly inform her current practice at Brown, Goldstein & Levy.

• Recognition & Leadership

Ms. Weber’s recognition spans major appellate and trial court victories, academic credentials, and institutional leadership. Her LACCD verdict — finding ADA Title II violations through inaccessible technology and awarding over $240,000 in damages, recently reinstated by the Ninth Circuit — is among the most significant jury verdicts in ADA digital accessibility litigation. Her role in Robles v. Domino’s Pizza produced one of the most widely cited Ninth Circuit decisions on ADA website accessibility, establishing that public accommodations cannot defer compliance pending DOJ rulemaking, and a subsequent trial court order requiring remediation. She is president of the board of Disability Rights Maryland and previously served on the boards of the ACLU of Maryland and FreeState Justice, reflecting community recognition of her disability rights leadership beyond the courtroom.

• Professional Involvement

Ms. Weber is president of the board of Disability Rights Maryland and a former board member of the ACLU of Maryland and FreeState Justice. At Brown, Goldstein & Levy, she contributes to one of the country’s leading disability rights litigation practices, working on matters that span accessible technology, voting rights, health care access, educational access, and employment discrimination. Her work in Robles v. Domino’s and the LACCD litigation has made her a nationally recognized voice on ADA digital accessibility, web and mobile application accessibility, and the procedural and substantive dimensions of disability rights enforcement in federal court.

• Experience

Jessie Weber’s practice at Brown, Goldstein & Levy places her at the forefront of ADA digital accessibility litigation — a field she has helped shape through landmark outcomes at the trial and appellate level. Her Robles v. Domino’s advocacy produced a published Ninth Circuit decision that is now a foundational reference for ADA website accessibility law, establishing that public accommodations must make digital services accessible now and cannot wait for DOJ rulemaking. Her LACCD jury verdict — finding Title II violations through inaccessible educational technology and awarding damages to blind students, reinstated on appeal — demonstrates the full arc of her litigation capability from trial through appellate reversal and reinstatement. Her Princeton and Yale Law credentials, her district court clerkship, her Murnaghan Fellowship, and her board leadership at Disability Rights Maryland collectively reflect a career defined by rigorous legal craft, public interest commitment, and landmark achievement in the rapidly evolving area of digital accessibility law.

SESSION 1 – Digital Accessibility Litigation Landscape | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Digital accessibility litigation is rising sharply, and ADA Title III now extends well beyond physical spaces. This segment establishes the legal framework attorneys must understand to effectively counsel clients facing website accessibility exposure across industries.

SESSION 2 – What Makes a Website “Accessible” in Practice | 2:10pm – 2:30pm

Presenters break down what WCAG compliance looks like on real-world websites, covering foundational concepts, technical terminology, and how conformance is evaluated — equipping attorneys to engage confidently with accessibility evidence and technical arguments in practice.

SESSION 3 – WCAG in Practice for Lawyers | 2:30pm – 2:45pm

Attorneys will learn to interpret key WCAG Success Criteria, identify recurring compliance failures that drive claims, and understand how expert reports are constructed — building the analytical foundation needed to advise clients on litigation risk and remediation.

SESSION 4 – Consulting Expert Discussion | 2:45pm – 3:00pm

Attendees engage directly with nationally recognized accessibility consultants to address case-specific questions, clarify technical concepts, and gain practical insights that can be immediately applied when advising clients on digital accessibility compliance and dispute strategy.