California Department of Insurance
California's insurance exam was unusable by blind candidates.
Blind insurance agent candidates in California sued the state's Department of Insurance and its testing vendor PSI Services in 2022. The online licensing exam — required to sell insurance in California — wasn't compatible with screen readers. Candidates literally could not take the test.
The 2024 settlement forced PSI to overhaul the exam software for full screen-reader compatibility. The case is part of a broader pattern: any high-stakes online test (CPA, bar exam, insurance, real estate, securities) must be accessible. If candidates can't take the test, the profession is effectively closed.
Settlement
Not disclosed (August 2024 settlement)
Court
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alameda, Department 23
Case
Fowler et al. v. California Department of Insurance and PSI Services LLC
21CV000126
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
Sources & documentation
- Disability Rights Advocates — Fowler v. California Department of Insurance case pagePrimary
- Disability Rights Advocates — Settlement Agreement Improves Accessibility for Blind Test-Takers (August 2024)Primary
- National Federation of the Blind — Settlement Agreement Improves Accessibility for Blind Test-TakersPrimary
- TRE Legal Practice — Case Profile: California Insurance Exam
- TRE Legal Practice — Settlement Improves Accessibility of California Insurance Exam
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