Last Updated: July 7, 2025

Breaking: The Supreme Court's unanimous June 2025 decision in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools eliminates the heightened legal standard that previously protected schools and other entities from disability discrimination claims, making it significantly easier for individuals with disabilities to sue under the ADA and Section 504.

The landscape of disability rights enforcement has fundamentally shifted overnight. In a unanimous decision that sent shockwaves through education, healthcare, and training industries, the United States Supreme Court has eliminated a decades-old legal barrier that effectively shielded organizations from disability discrimination lawsuits. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, declared that children with disabilities and their parents "face daunting challenges on a daily basis. We hold today that those challenges do not include having to satisfy a more stringent standard of proof than other plaintiffs."

This ruling represents the most significant shift in disability rights enforcement since the Americans with Disabilities Act was first enacted. For training providers, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions, the implications are immediate and far-reaching. What was once a nearly insurmountable legal hurdle for plaintiffs has been eliminated entirely, fundamentally rebalancing the scales of disability rights litigation.

The Case That Changed Everything

The transformation began with Ava Tharpe, a Minnesota teenager with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy that causes near-daily seizures. Ava's condition made it impossible for her to attend school before noon, as her seizures were most frequent during morning hours. Her parents fought for years to secure evening instruction so their daughter could receive a full school day equivalent to her non-disabled peers.

While the Osseo Area Schools district eventually provided some accommodations through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Ava's family sought monetary damages and permanent injunctive relief under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws, unlike IDEA, permit lawsuits for financial compensation when discrimination occurs.

The family's case seemed strong until it encountered a 1982 legal precedent called Monahan v. Nebraska. This decision required students with disabilities to prove that schools acted with "bad faith or gross misjudgment" – a significantly higher burden of proof than the negligence or deliberate indifference standards typically applied in other disability discrimination cases. Lower courts ruled against the Tharpes despite acknowledging the school had fallen short of its obligations.

What the Supreme Court Actually Decided

In a sweeping unanimous decision, the Supreme Court obliterated the heightened standard that had protected defendants in disability discrimination cases for over four decades. The Court held that disability discrimination claims in educational settings must be subject to the same legal standards that apply in all other contexts under the ADA and Section 504.

The New Legal Standard

Under the Supreme Court's ruling, disability discrimination claims now require:

For Injunctive Relief: No proof of intentional discrimination required – plaintiffs can obtain court orders to stop discriminatory practices without proving bad intent.

For Monetary Damages: Proof of "deliberate indifference" – defendants must have known about the discrimination and deliberately ignored it, but personal ill will or animosity toward disabled individuals is not required.

Chief Justice Roberts emphasized that this decision aligns educational disability claims with standards used everywhere else, noting that Congress had explicitly rejected the heightened standard by adding Section 1415(l) to federal law, which states that nothing in IDEA "shall be construed to restrict or limit" relief under anti-discrimination statutes.

Immediate Implications for Training Providers

The Supreme Court's decision doesn't just affect schools – it fundamentally alters the risk landscape for any organization that provides training, services, or programs to individuals with disabilities. Training providers, healthcare organizations, and professional development companies now face a dramatically increased likelihood of successful discrimination lawsuits.

Training Program Accessibility

Every aspect of your training programs must now be examined through the lens of accessibility. Digital platforms, course materials, testing procedures, and physical learning environments can no longer be defended with arguments about good faith efforts or resource constraints. If a person with disabilities cannot access your training on equal terms with non-disabled participants, you may face both court-ordered changes and monetary damages.

The ruling particularly impacts organizations providing fundamental rights training for direct support professionals, as these programs must model the very accessibility principles they teach. Training providers can no longer assume that minimal compliance efforts will shield them from liability.

Certification and Credentialing Programs

Professional certification programs face heightened scrutiny under the new standard. Testing accommodations, alternative assessment methods, and modified training schedules must be provided unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the credential. The Supreme Court's decision makes it clear that courses and examinations related to professional, educational, or trade-related applications, licensing, certifications, or credentialing must be provided in a place and manner accessible to people with disabilities.

Organizations providing specialized training in areas like human rights and recognizing abuse, neglect, and exploitation must ensure their programs are accessible to trainees with disabilities, as these professionals will be serving vulnerable populations that include many individuals with disabilities.

The Rising Litigation Landscape

The Supreme Court's decision comes at a time when disability rights litigation is already reaching unprecedented levels. Over 4,000 federal ADA Title III lawsuits were filed in 2024 alone, with twenty prolific law firms responsible for these court filings. Legal experts predict this number will surge following the Supreme Court's elimination of the heightened standard.

"This ruling rebalances the playing field in a way that should lead schools to be more careful. Maybe this is too optimistic, but my hope is that you don't see more lawsuits. My hope is that you see more compliance." – Roman Martinez, Attorney for Ava Tharpe

However, legal realists expect the opposite effect. With the legal barrier removed, disability rights advocates and attorneys now have a much clearer path to successful litigation. Training providers who have relied on good faith efforts rather than comprehensive accessibility may find themselves facing both injunctive relief and substantial monetary damages.

Target Industries and Risk Factors

Industries that frequently face ADA litigation include e-commerce platforms, healthcare providers, hospitality companies, and educational institutions. Training providers serving these sectors face dual exposure – both from their own accessibility failures and from potential inadequacy of the training they provide to clients who then face their own discrimination claims.

Organizations providing mandatory compliance training bear particular responsibility. If your training programs are required for professional licensure, employment, or regulatory compliance, they must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Post-Supreme Court ruling, courts will no longer accept arguments that providing accessibility would be burdensome or that good faith efforts were sufficient.

Compliance Requirements Training Providers Must Meet

The Supreme Court's decision doesn't create new legal obligations, but it dramatically increases the likelihood that existing obligations will be enforced through successful lawsuits. Training providers must now view ADA and Section 504 compliance as business-critical rather than aspirational.

Digital Platform Accessibility

Learning management systems, online course platforms, and training websites must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards, which are considered the accepted benchmark for compliance. Key requirements include ensuring text and images have a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1, providing captions or audio descriptions for video content, and including alt text for all images and non-text content.

The technical requirements extend beyond basic web accessibility. Training platforms must accommodate screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice recognition software, and other assistive technologies. Interactive elements, assessments, and multimedia content require careful design to ensure equal access for users with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities.

Course Material and Assessment Modifications

Training materials must be available in alternative formats including large print, braille, audio recordings, and electronic text compatible with screen readers. Assessment methods require flexibility to accommodate different learning styles and disabilities. Timed tests, multiple choice formats, and written assignments may need alternatives such as oral examinations, extended time periods, or project-based assessments.

The Supreme Court's decision makes clear that these accommodations cannot be viewed as optional extras or burdensome requests. They are legal requirements, and failure to provide them can result in both court orders mandating compliance and monetary damages for past discrimination.

Immediate Action Required

Don't wait for a lawsuit to force compliance. The Supreme Court ruling has fundamentally changed the legal landscape, making successful disability discrimination claims significantly more likely.

Get ADA Compliance Resources

Strategic Response for Training Organizations

The most successful response to the Supreme Court ruling involves viewing accessibility as a competitive advantage rather than a compliance burden. Organizations that proactively embrace universal design principles will not only avoid litigation but will also expand their market reach to the over 61 million adults with disabilities in the United States.

Comprehensive Accessibility Auditing

Begin with a thorough audit of all training programs, platforms, and materials. This audit should examine digital accessibility, physical facility access, communication methods, assessment procedures, and policy frameworks. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides detailed guidance on employer responsibilities under the ADA, including requirements for training programs provided to employees.

Document your audit findings meticulously. In the post-Supreme Court environment, courts will scrutinize whether organizations knew about accessibility barriers and chose to ignore them. Deliberate indifference – the standard for monetary damages – can be established through evidence that problems were identified but not addressed.

Universal Design Implementation

Universal design principles benefit all learners, not just those with disabilities. Closed captions assist individuals learning English as a second language. Clear navigation helps users with cognitive processing differences. High contrast design improves readability for everyone. By implementing these features proactively, training providers create more effective learning environments while ensuring legal compliance.

The financial investment in accessibility improvements should be viewed as insurance against far more costly litigation. ADA lawsuits can result in expensive overhauls, retroactive modifications, and substantial legal fees, diverting budget and resources away from existing projects. Proactive accessibility investments are typically far less expensive than court-mandated remediation.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Different sectors face varying levels of exposure following the Supreme Court ruling. Healthcare training providers, educational institutions, and professional development organizations each encounter unique challenges and regulatory requirements that compound their accessibility obligations.

Healthcare and Direct Support Training

Healthcare training providers face particularly complex challenges because their trainees will work directly with individuals with disabilities. Training programs must not only be accessible to participants with disabilities but must also adequately prepare healthcare workers to provide accessible care to their future patients and clients.

The irony of inaccessible disability training is not lost on courts or advocacy groups. Organizations providing training on disability rights, person-centered care, or inclusive practices that fail to implement these principles in their own programs face heightened scrutiny and potential reputational damage beyond legal liability.

Professional Development and Continuing Education

Professional development programs required for licensure renewal or employment advancement carry additional legal weight under disability rights laws. When participation in training is mandatory or provides significant professional benefits, accessibility becomes even more critical. Courts are likely to view barriers to required professional development as particularly egregious forms of discrimination.

Continuing education providers must also consider the cumulative effect of accessibility barriers. A single inaccessible course might prevent a professional with disabilities from maintaining licensure or advancing in their career, resulting in substantial economic damages that could be awarded in litigation.

Beyond Compliance: The Business Case for Accessibility

While the Supreme Court ruling has dramatically increased legal risks, smart training providers are recognizing accessibility as a significant business opportunity. The disability community represents a massive, underserved market with substantial purchasing power and loyalty to organizations that demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusion.

Research consistently shows that accessible design benefits all users. Captions help in noisy environments. Clear navigation assists users under stress or time pressure. Flexible formatting accommodates different learning preferences and technological capabilities. Organizations that embrace universal design often discover improved user satisfaction, completion rates, and market differentiation.

Market Expansion and Competitive Advantage

The Supreme Court ruling creates a competitive landscape where accessibility becomes a key differentiator. Training providers that can credibly market their programs as fully accessible will capture market share from competitors still struggling with compliance. Government contracts, corporate partnerships, and institutional relationships increasingly require demonstrated accessibility compliance.

Forward-thinking organizations are already leveraging accessibility as a selling point, highlighting their commitment to inclusion in marketing materials and contract negotiations. As awareness of the Supreme Court ruling spreads, procurement decisions will increasingly favor vendors with proven accessibility track records.

The Bottom Line

The Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools represents the most significant shift in disability rights enforcement in decades. Training providers can no longer rely on good faith efforts or resource constraints to defend accessibility failures. The choice is clear: embrace comprehensive accessibility now, or face the likelihood of successful litigation later.

The organizations that will thrive in this new environment are those that view the Supreme Court ruling not as a threat, but as an opportunity to lead in creating truly inclusive training experiences. The legal landscape has changed permanently, and there's no going back to the days when accessibility was optional for training providers.

The time for incremental change has passed. The Supreme Court has spoken, and the message is clear: disability rights are civil rights, and they will be enforced with the full weight of federal law behind them.

Supreme Court Ruling Makes Disability Lawsuits Easier: What Training Providers Need to Know

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