accessiBe

accessiBe is an Israeli technology company that offers web accessibility softwares for people with disabilities.[1][2][3] The company has raised $12.5 million in two rounds of funding,[4][5][6][7]

accessiBe
TypePrivate
IndustryWeb accessibility
FounderDekel Skoop, Gal Vizel, Shir Ekerling
Headquarters
Tel Aviv
,
Israel
ProductsWeb accessibility softwares
Websiteaccessibe.com

History

accessiBe was founded in 2018 by Dekel Skoop, Gal Vizel and Shir Ekerling.[8][9] The founders worked on developing proprietary software that attempts to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.[10][11][12] The company launched its software product as a tool that scans and remediates websites’ interfaces in real-time, allowing publishers to achieve ADA compliance through implementing the ADA and WCAG 2.1 guidelines.[13][14] The product was built to help website publishers become ADA compliant within hours of deploying accessiBe's code, so that people with disabilities can easily access and interact with these websites.[15][16][17][18][19]

accessiBe first raised $500,000 from private investors including Nadav Dakner, Elad Mor, Itai Elizur, Oron Yaffe, and others.[20] In May 2020, the company raised $12 million in Series A funding from K1 Investment Management.[21][22][23][24]

Controversy

Some web accessibility experts disagree that this software improves websites, among them:

  • Adrian Roselli (a web accessibility consultant[25]) believes that running accessiBe can be grounds for a lawsuit and claims accessiBe itself is not accessible .[26]
  • Eric Eggert (a web accessibility consultant[27]) presented on how accessibility scripts are full of false claims that they cannot fulfill.[28]
  • Karl Groves (founder of Tenon.io, previously with Simply Accessible) highlighted how even “Custom” overlays are problematic and also later compares tools like AccessiBe to "penis enlargement pills".[29][30]
  • Lainey Feingold (disability rights author and lawyer focusing on technology and information access for blind people[31]) does not believe that automated accessibility solutions include disabled people in the digital world, won't prevent lawsuits, and will not create lasting access.[32]
  • Sheri Byrne-Haber (Accessibility Architect at VMware, W3C Silver, ITI & IAAP GLC committee member[33]) doesn't believe that accessibility plugins can solve the problems they claim to and cannot be sufficient to avoid lawsuits.[34][35]
  • Steve Faulkner (member of the W3C Web Platforms Working Group and the W3C ARIA Working Group [36]) showing how accessibility plugins like accessiBe can't fix fundamental issues, replicate existing browser functionality, and can create new problems.[37]
  • Timothy Springer (CEO of Level Access, an accessible technology consultancy) believes employing an accessibility overlay, such as accessiBe, is worse than a typical website would be without one, doesn't meet the ADA's 'Full and Equal Access' requirement, and are not a 'Separate but Equal' solution.[38][39][40][41][42]

Many industry professionals have spoken out against the product category of which accessiBe is part.[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]

Lawsuits

There have been around 100 lawsuits against companies after they invested in a widget-based solution,[54] potentially most prominently the HR giant ADP,[55] and two have named accessiBe specifically: Thomas Klaus and Robert Jahoda v Upright Technologies,[56] and Kolesar v. Bylt, LLC.[57]

AudioEye, a competitor, also filed a lawsuit against accessiBe for patent infringement.[58]

See also

References
  1. Singh, Preeti (14 May 2020). "K1 Bets $12 Million on Company That Improves Internet Access for the Disabled". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  2. Reporter, IBTimes Staff (20 April 2020). "accessiBe Looks to Advance digital Inclusion through AI-Powered Web Accessibility". International Business Times. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. Spencer, Jennifer (27 November 2019). "Yes, AI Can Make Company Websites Accessible to All". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. יבלונקו, יסמין (13 May 2020). "הסטארט-אפ הישראלי accessiBe גייס 12 מיליון דולר מקרן K1". Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. "להנגיש אוטומטית כל אתר לאנשים עם מוגבלויות: אקססיבי גייסה 12 מיליון דולר". TheMarker. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. "Israeli startup accessiBe scores $12 million to make web content accessible to the visual, hearing and motor impaired". Tech.eu. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  7. Dudharejia, Manish (15 October 2019). "How AI-enabled marketing can lower website bounce rates and improve accessibility". Marketing Tech News. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  8. "Israeli Startup accessiBe Secures $12M Investment from K1 Finance Magnates". Finance Magnates. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  9. "Web accessibility platform accessiBe secures $12 million to make the entire web accessible". BetaNews. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  10. Elizur, Itai (20 August 2019). "How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant, Avoid Accessibility Lawsuits". Small Business Trends. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  11. "How eCommerce Store Owners Can Help Persons with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Crisis". Business 2 Community. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. Abo, Jessica (2020-09-04). "How One Company is Working to Solve Web Accessibility". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  13. "Why Your Website Might Not Be Welcoming for People With Disabilities". Fortune. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. "How Ecommerce Stores Can Care About Customers During the Pandemic". Search Engine Journal. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. "accessiBe aims to make the Internet accessible by 2025". Information Age. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  16. "Best Web Accessibility Solutions of 2019 Compared". CloudWedge. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  17. "CaterTrax Launches AI Powered Accessibility Technology, CaterTrax Assist". GlobeNewswire News Room. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  18. Reporter, IBTimes Staff (17 February 2020). "Leading Companies That Are Disrupting Their industries". International Business Times. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. Moed, Jonathan. "This Startup Aims To Make E-Commerce Accessible For Everyone". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  20. אורבך, מאיר (13 May 2020). "חברת אקססיבי גייסה 12 מיליון דולר לנגישות של אתרי אינטרנט". Calcalist. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  21. "אקססיבי הישראלית מגייסת כסף, כי אתרים לא מונגשים מפסידים כניסות וחשופים לתביעות". Geektime (in Hebrew). 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  22. "accessiBe Raises $12M in Funding". FinSMEs. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  23. Dorbian, Iris (13 May 2020). "K1 invests $12m in AccessiBe". PE Hub. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  24. "3 Reputation Management Tasks You've Never Considered - but Should Be Doing". Social Media Today. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  25. "Adrian Roselli". Adrian Roselli. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  26. "#accessiBe Will Get You Sued". Adrian Roselli. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  27. "About Me". yatil.net. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  28. Eggert, Eric (Oct 19, 2020). "5 False Claims 1-Line "AI" Accessibility Script Vendors Make". YouTube.
  29. Karl, Groves (April 13, 2020). "Even custom overlays have questionable value". Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  30. Karl, Groves (February 5, 2020). "Investment in the accessibility industry". Karl Groves. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  31. "About Lainey Feingold". Law Office of Lainey Feingold. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  32. "Honor the ADA: Avoid Web Accessibility Quick-Fix Overlays". Law Office of Lainey Feingold. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  33. "About – Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC". Medium. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  34. CPACC, Sheri Byrne-Haber (2020-01-14). "Overlays are not the solution to your accessibility problem". Medium. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  35. CPACC, Sheri Byrne-Haber (2020-10-13). "More lawsuits filed against companies using accessibility plugin/overlays". Medium. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  36. "CodePen - Steve Faulkner: Resume". cdpn.io. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  37. Faulkner, Steve (2020-05-13). "Bolt-on Accessibility – 5 gears in reverse". TPG. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  38. "Is Deploying an Accessibility Overlay or Widget Better Than Doing Nothing?". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  39. "Do Accessibility Overlays and Widgets Provide 'Full and Equal Access' as Required Under the ADA's General Rule?". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  40. "Should Accessibility Overlays and Widgets Be Viewed As 'Separate but Equal' Solutions?". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  41. "Do Accessibility Overlays and Widgets Provide Effective Communication?". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  42. "Lies, Damned Lies, Overlays and Widgets". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  43. Alex (2020-08-24). "The Trouble with Accessibility Overlays". Logictran, Inc. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  44. "Are Overlays an ADA Liability? Here's What Experts Had to Say". 216digital. 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  45. Rivenburgh, Kris (2020-08-19). "The Death of Accessibility Overlays". Medium. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  46. "Is there a silver bullet for ADA website accessibility? Sorry, but the answer is no". accessdefense.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  47. "Accessibility Shortcuts to Avoid: Overlay and Alternate ADA Compliant Websites | Propeller". www.propellermediaworks.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  48. "Zenyth Group | Web Accessibility Overlays: True Fix or False Pretense?". zenythgroup.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  49. "Not All Accessibility Overlays Are Created Equal". Deque. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  50. "Automated Lies, with one line of code". karlgroves.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  51. Henry, Brad (2020-05-13). "Accessibility Overlays in Digital Content". The Paciello Group (TPG). Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  52. Taylor, Jason. "4 Reasons Why Accessibility Overlays Fall Short [Blog]". blog.usablenet.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  53. Moynat, Author: Julie (2020-04-11). "Web accessibility overlay tools: lies and gum balls". La Lutine du Web. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  54. Taylor, Jason. "App and Web Accessibility Lawsuits - What's New in 2020". blog.usablenet.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  55. "LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired v. ADP TotalSource". Disability Rights Advocates. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  56. "KLAUS et al v. UPRIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (2:20-cv-00191), Pennsylvania Western District Court". www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  57. KLAUS et al v. BYLT, LLC (1:20-cv-00025), Pennsylvania Western District Court. www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  58. "Overlay Obstacles: AudioEye Files Suit Against accessiBe, Claims Patent Infringement". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
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