ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: An Online Furniture Retailer

Plaintiff Brett DeSalvo, a visually impaired individual, has filed a class action lawsuit against an online furniture retailer in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on February 24, 2021. This complaint, brought by Wilshire Law Firm, alleges that the retailer's website is inaccessible to blind and visually impaired consumers, denying them full and equal access to its goods, services, and physical showroom information.

The complaint specifically details several Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) violations. These include a lack of alternative text (alt-text) for graphics and images, empty links without descriptive text, redundant links leading to the same URL, linked images also missing alt-text, and keyboard operable user interfaces lacking a discernible focus indicator. The website content is also not capable of being rendered into text for screen readers, and contains inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDFs).

This case highlights the significant legal risks faced by e-commerce businesses that fail to maintain accessible websites. Companies offering online services or products, especially those with integrated physical locations, must ensure their digital platforms comply with ADA Title III and the Unruh Civil Rights Act to avoid similar lawsuits and potential statutory damages for denying access to disabled users.