ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: an online restaurant franchise

Tyrone Thompson, represented by WILSHIRE LAW FIRM, has filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on July 27, 2021, against an online restaurant franchise. The complaint alleges that the defendant's website fails to provide equal access to visually-impaired individuals, violating Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.

The lawsuit specifies numerous accessibility barriers, including the lack of alternative text for non-text elements and images, empty and redundant links, issues with keyboard operability and focus indicators, and the absence of equivalent text for scripts. Further allegations highlight problems with forms lacking proper information and functionality, content structure not conveyed visually, text that cannot be resized, and web pages without descriptive titles or clearly determinable link purposes. Inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDF) files and a failure to provide labels or instructions for user input also contribute to the alleged inaccessibility.

This legal action underscores the imperative for all businesses operating websites, particularly those integrated with physical locations offering goods and services, to ensure their digital platforms are fully accessible to disabled users. Non-compliance risks significant legal exposure, including injunctive relief to mandate accessibility updates, statutory damages under state laws like the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and potential liability for attorneys' fees and costs.