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Comment by jcranmer | Hacker News Reader

If you're not selling anything, then you're not engaged in commerce and you wouldn't qualify as a "public accommodation" and the law doesn't kick in for you.

(Complete list of public accommodation is 24 USC §12181(7)--https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/12181).

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Right at the top of that page:

> The term “commerce” means travel, trade, traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication

It is pretty funny that their definition of commerce includes commerce, but seems like communication is on the list as well.

Seems to be a common thing. One of my favourites from The Canadian Customs Tariff Schedule, Ch. 71 § 4.B:

> The expression "platinum" means platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium

...and you'd be OK in the EU too.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/web-accessibil...

Non-profits don't necessarily sell anything but they've been sued by the ADA for violating the laws on accessibility.

ADA is the American disabilities act, it can’t sue anyone.

Sorry, I meant American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). We got sued under the ADA by the AAPD.

"Sell anything" is probably a bit too restrictive, but summarizing case law on what counts as "affecting commerce" is difficult. In general, you need something that looks like a service or good being provided (even if no money is actually paid for it). Something like Youtube would absolutely fall under the ADA--it's clearly analogous to a movie theater.

Let’s just be honest - anyone can sue anybody, but you’re probably not going to have problems under the ADA unless you become visible for some reason (success, expressing the wrong thoughts loudly, service necessity for a community, etc).

Today I learned Ikea is non-profit....

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