The number of credit unions hit with lawsuits in recent weeks over the accessibility of their websites continued to climb into double digits, and experts warned that even more credit unions could become targets if they don't get up to speed on the issue.

The suits center around claims that credit unions' websites violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability for equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations in places of public accommodation. The Department of Justice's ADA website states that discrimination includes failing to modify policies, practices or procedures to make things accessible, unless doing so would create an undue burden.

According to the lawsuits, that discrimination includes failing to do things such as embed code that allows screen readers to vocalize descriptions of graphics on websites. Without those efforts, visually impaired users can't determine what's on a credit union's site and in turn can't browse a site, look for locations, learn about amenities or determine which branch to visit. The complaints also claimed the credit unions' sites contained redundant links that created repetition for screen readers and were missing form labels.