ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Restaurant Chain
Plaintiff's Firm: MANNING LAW, APC
Case Summary
SHEILA BIGLANG-AWA CASTRO has filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on June 29, 2020, alleging that an international restaurant chain's website is not fully accessible to blind and visually-impaired users.
The lawsuit alleges numerous accessibility barriers on the website, including the absence of text equivalents for non-text elements, unlabeled or mislabeled buttons and links, lack of descriptive alternate text, insufficient navigational headings, and an inaccessible checkout system. Further issues include the inability to determine link purposes, a lack of keyboard focus indicators, and content not rendered into text for screen readers.
This action highlights the ongoing legal risks for online businesses, particularly those with physical locations, if their digital platforms fail to meet ADA Title III and Unruh Civil Rights Act standards for accessibility. Businesses must ensure their websites are independently usable by blind and visually-impaired individuals using screen-reading software to avoid similar litigation.
Unlock Full Intelligence Report
Obtain the technical WCAG violation analysis, target metadata, and legal stakes for Case #.
Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this restaurant chain accused of?
The restaurant chain is accused of lacking text equivalents for non-text elements, having unlabeled or mislabeled buttons and links, insufficient navigational headings, and an inaccessible checkout system. Other issues include undecipherable link purposes, missing keyboard focus indicators, and content not rendered as text for screen readers.
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
The lawsuit was filed by SHEILA BIGLANG-AWA CASTRO and is represented by MANNING LAW, APC.
What legal risk does this create?
This case demonstrates that businesses operating both physical locations and online platforms face significant legal exposure under ADA Title III and the Unruh Civil Rights Act if their websites are not fully accessible to disabled users employing assistive technologies like screen readers.