ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: An Online Jewelry Retailer
Plaintiff's Firm: WILSHIRE LAW FIRM
Case Summary
Plaintiff Richard Paul Merrell, represented by Wilshire Law Firm, filed a federal class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on December 1, 2020, against an online jewelry retailer.
The lawsuit alleges that the e-commerce website failed to be fully and equally accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals using screen-reading software. Specific alleged WCAG violations include: lack of alternative text for non-text elements and linked images, empty links without descriptive text, redundant links, forms not accessible for screen readers, lack of page titles, content not resizable, time limits, and elements not programmatically determined.
This action highlights the significant legal risks faced by online businesses, particularly those operating e-commerce websites, if their digital platforms are not designed and maintained to be fully compliant with accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1.
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Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this online jewelry retailer accused of?
The online jewelry retailer is accused of numerous WCAG violations, including lack of alternative text for graphics and images, empty links without descriptive text, redundant links, forms not accessible for screen readers, lack of web page titles, content not resizable, inability to extend time limits, and various programmatic determination issues for user interface elements.
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
Richard Paul Merrell filed this lawsuit, represented by Wilshire Law Firm.
What legal risk does this create?
This creates legal risk for online businesses, especially e-commerce platforms, demonstrating that failure to provide an accessible website for visually impaired users can lead to federal class action lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act and state civil rights acts.