Charles Schwab & Co.
Schwab clients didn't sue. They negotiated. The result was just as binding.
Four blind Charles Schwab clients found that schwab.com, the Schwab mobile app, and the Thinkorswim trading platform weren't accessible. Instead of filing a lawsuit, they used "structured negotiation" — a process where the parties resolve the issue cooperatively, usually with an enforceable agreement at the end.
The 2024 outcome required Schwab to achieve full WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across all three platforms, with quarterly accessibility audits and public reporting. Structured negotiation is the under-the-radar way many big companies fix accessibility — fewer headlines, same legal teeth, often a cheaper outcome than a public lawsuit.
Court
No court — resolved through Structured Negotiation (pre-litigation)
Case
Carmain et al. v. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Structured Negotiation)
N/A — structured negotiation, not filed in court
Outcome
settled
What went wrong on the site
Each visual below shows what visitors with disabilities actually experienced.
<div onClick="buy()">
<div>Buy now</div>
</div>
Custom controls had no ARIA roles, so screen readers could not announce what they were or what state they were in.
WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value
your name here
Screen reader: "Edit text. Edit text."
CAPTCHAs were visual-only with no audio or accessible alternative — blocking blind users from signing up or logging in.
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content
Multiple WCAG 2.1 AA violations across the site
Multiple violations across the full WCAG 2.2 Level AA spec — including newer criteria like target size and focus-appearance.
WCAG WCAG 2.2 AA
Sources & documentation
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