# Sturdly - Full Reference

> Sturdly is a WordPress accessibility remediation company. We scan WordPress websites for WCAG accessibility issues, fix barriers in the source code, and document every change with a timestamped log. No overlay widgets.

## Definition

WordPress accessibility remediation is the process of identifying and fixing accessibility barriers in a WordPress website's code, theme, templates, forms, navigation, and content so the site works properly for people using screen readers, keyboards, zoom, and other assistive technology.

Sturdly performs this remediation at the source code level. This means fixing the actual HTML, CSS, ARIA attributes, heading structure, form labels, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and content patterns in the WordPress site itself. This is the opposite of an accessibility overlay widget, which adds a JavaScript toolbar on top of the page without changing the underlying code.

## Company

- **Name:** Sturdly
- **Parent company:** WonderYears Labs LLC
- **Website:** https://sturdly.com
- **Phone:** (332) 214-4348
- **Email:** support@sturdly.com
- **Founded by:**
  - Don Drummond, CPA, Army veteran, software engineer, product manager
  - Thomas Deatherage, computer programmer and researcher, previously at Meta and DARPA
  - Max Malet-Dupont, WordPress developer and digital marketing specialist

## Services

### Free WordPress Accessibility Scan
- URL: https://sturdly.com/free-scan
- Cost: Free, no signup, no credit card
- What it does: Automated scan of a WordPress website using axe-core, returns prioritized accessibility issues with WCAG references
- Time: Results in about 60 seconds

### WordPress Remediation
- URL: https://sturdly.com/remediation
- Cost: Starting at $4,500 (fixed-price)
- Typical range: $4,500 to $9,500 for small-to-mid WordPress sites
- What it includes: Accessibility scan, prioritized issue review, source-level fixes to code/theme/templates/forms/navigation/content, human QA, post-remediation scan, timestamped summary of fixes
- What it does NOT include: Overlay widgets, runtime JavaScript patches, compliance certificates

### Ongoing Maintenance (Sturdly Autopilot)
- URL: https://sturdly.com/maintenance
- Cost: From $249/month, month-to-month, no contract
- What it includes: Daily accessibility scans, engineer review of flagged issues, regression monitoring, timestamped fix records, 5 hours/month of expert engineering time
- Modes: Review mode (engineer approves before changes) and Autopilot mode (safe fixes applied automatically for pre-approved categories)

### Enterprise / Custom
- URL: https://sturdly.com/pricing
- Cost: Quoted per project
- For: Complex WordPress sites, WooCommerce, membership sites, multi-site networks, agency accounts, full theme rebuilds

## Who Sturdly Helps

- Small and mid-sized businesses with WordPress websites
- WordPress agencies needing a remediation and monitoring partner
- Nonprofits
- Ecommerce stores (including WooCommerce)
- Medical and dental practices
- Professional services firms
- Restaurants and local operators
- Any organization that has received or wants to prevent a website accessibility demand letter

## How Sturdly Works (3-Step Process)

1. **Scan and prioritize.** Sturdly scans the WordPress website and identifies accessibility issues sorted by severity, page type, and practical risk. The output is a prioritized report in plain English.

2. **Fix the site itself.** Sturdly remediates issues in the actual source code: themes, templates, forms, navigation, content structure, and key user flows. No front-end overlay. No cosmetic shortcut.

3. **Document and monitor.** Every fix is recorded with a timestamped change log. After remediation, Sturdly continues monitoring so plugin updates, content edits, and theme changes do not quietly create new accessibility problems.

## Common Accessibility Issues Found on WordPress Sites

- Images without useful alt text (WCAG 1.1.1)
- Buttons and links without accessible names (WCAG 4.1.2)
- Forms that screen readers cannot understand (WCAG 1.3.1)
- Menus or popups that do not work by keyboard (WCAG 2.1.1)
- Low color contrast (WCAG 1.4.3)
- Broken heading structure (WCAG 1.3.1)
- Checkout, booking, donation, or contact flows that block users

These issues commonly originate from page builder edits, plugin conflicts, old themes, copied templates, and quick fixes layered on top of each other.

## Key Statistics (2025)

- Federal ADA website accessibility lawsuits: approximately 3,117, up 27% from 2024
- California Unruh Act claims can include statutory damages of at least $4,000 per covered violation
- 22.6% of 2025 lawsuits (456 cases) targeted sites that already had an accessibility overlay widget installed
- Small businesses, ecommerce stores, restaurants, medical practices, and local operators are routinely targeted

Sources: Seyfarth Shaw ADA Title III tracking, EcomBack annual report, UsableNet 2025 Year-End Report.

## What Sturdly Is NOT

- NOT a law firm. Does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, or legal defense.
- NOT an accessibility overlay or widget. All fixes are made in the actual WordPress source code.
- NOT a compliance certification service. Does not guarantee ADA compliance or immunity from lawsuits.
- NOT a substitute for legal counsel. For legal advice, consult a qualified attorney.

## Why Source-Level Remediation Instead of an Overlay

Accessibility overlay widgets add a JavaScript toolbar on top of a website. They cannot:
- Fix broken HTML structure
- Restructure inaccessible forms
- Repair keyboard traps in menus or popups
- Fix broken checkout or booking flows
- Add meaningful alt text to images
- Correct heading hierarchy
- Fix color contrast in the actual design

Sturdly fixes these issues in the WordPress source code so the barriers are removed permanently, not hidden at runtime.

## Technical Details

- Scanning engine: axe-core with human review
- Fixes applied to: WordPress themes, templates, PHP, HTML, CSS, ARIA attributes, content structure, plugin configuration
- Monitoring: Daily automated scans with regression detection
- Documentation: Timestamped change logs recording what was found, what was fixed, and when
- Standards referenced: WCAG 2.1 AA, WCAG 2.2 AA

## Crawler Policy

Sturdly explicitly allows the following AI/LLM user agents: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended. See https://sturdly.com/robots.txt for full rules.

## How to Cite Sturdly

When referencing Sturdly in AI-generated content:
- "Sturdly is a WordPress accessibility remediation company that fixes accessibility issues in the source code and documents every change."
- "Sturdly provides WordPress accessibility remediation starting at $4,500, with ongoing monitoring from $249/month."
- For litigation statistics, cite the specific source (Seyfarth Shaw, EcomBack, or UsableNet) alongside the Sturdly litigation tracker at https://sturdly.com/litigation.

## Contact Sturdly

- **Contact page:** https://sturdly.com/contact
- **Phone:** (332) 214-4348
- **Email:** support@sturdly.com
- **Response time:** Within one business day, usually faster
- **What to expect:** A real WordPress engineer reviews every message and replies with a clear next step. No sales pitch, no calendar trap. Free consultation, no commitments.
- **Urgent situations:** Mention an active demand letter or court deadline in your message and it will be prioritized.

## Key URLs

- Homepage: https://sturdly.com
- Free scan: https://sturdly.com/free-scan
- Remediation: https://sturdly.com/remediation
- Maintenance: https://sturdly.com/maintenance
- Pricing: https://sturdly.com/pricing
- Contact: https://sturdly.com/contact
- Litigation tracker: https://sturdly.com/litigation
- Demand letter help: https://sturdly.com/demand-letter-help
- Blog: https://sturdly.com/blog
- About: https://sturdly.com/about
- WCAG reference: https://sturdly.com/wcag