ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: a hotel and its car rental website
Plaintiff's Firm: CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS
Case Summary
Plaintiff Andres Gomez filed a federal lawsuit against a hospitality and car rental company in the Central District of California on July 28, 2020. Represented by CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS, the plaintiff alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act due to inaccessible digital platforms.
The complaint specifically outlines numerous accessibility barriers encountered on the defendant's website, including the lack of a format adjustment button for screen readers, missing text equivalents for images, inadequate navigation headings for keyboard/screen reader users, improperly labeled navigation elements, script and form elements not identified with functional text, similar/identical alternative text elements, inaccessible elements within “noscript” tags, lack of text alternatives for audio/visual content, empty or redundant links, and low contrast visualization. These issues prevented the visually-impaired plaintiff from successfully navigating and booking services.
This lawsuit highlights significant legal exposure for businesses operating websites that do not comply with digital accessibility standards, particularly WCAG 2.0 AA. Companies in the hospitality and car rental sectors offering online booking and services face the risk of federal and state lawsuits, including statutory damages under the Unruh Act, if their digital platforms are not fully accessible to users with disabilities, demonstrating a clear need for proactive WCAG compliance.
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Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this hospitality and car rental provider accused of?
The lawsuit alleges several WCAG violations, including: lack of a format adjustment button for screen readers; missing text equivalents for images; inadequate navigation headings for keyboard and screen reader users; improperly labeled navigation elements; script and form elements not identified with functional text; similar or identical alternative text elements; inaccessible elements within “noscript” tags; lack of text alternatives for audio/visual content; empty or redundant links; and low contrast visualization on the webpage.
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
Plaintiff Andres Gomez filed this lawsuit, represented by the law firm CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS.
What legal risk does this create?
This case signifies a legal risk for businesses, especially those in the hospitality and online travel sectors, whose websites lack digital accessibility. Failure to comply with ADA Title III and related state laws, such as the Unruh Act, can lead to lawsuits seeking injunctive relief, statutory damages, attorney fees, and costs, emphasizing the necessity for WCAG 2.0 AA compliance.