ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: An Italian-American Restaurant Chain
Plaintiff's Firm: WILSHIRE LAW FIRM
Case Summary
Plaintiff Thuy Thanh Alonzo has filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on July 29, 2021, against an Italian-American restaurant chain. The complaint alleges that the restaurant chain's website is not fully and equally accessible to visually-impaired individuals, including the plaintiff and proposed class members, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act (UCRA).
The lawsuit specifies multiple accessibility barriers encountered by blind and visually-impaired persons on the website. These include a lack of alternative text for non-text elements and linked images, empty links without descriptive text, and redundant links. Further allegations point to missing title frames for identification and navigation, forms lacking equivalent functionality for sighted users, and text that cannot be resized up to 200 percent without content loss. Additionally, the complaint notes a lack of discernible keyboard focus indicators and inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDFs).
This litigation highlights the significant legal exposure for businesses, particularly those in the food and hospitality sector, that operate online platforms not compliant with digital accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1. Similar e-commerce websites and service providers offering goods and services through their digital properties face a heightened risk of class action lawsuits if their platforms create barriers for disabled users, leading to demands for injunctive relief and statutory damages under federal and state accessibility laws.
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Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this restaurant chain accused of?
The restaurant chain is accused of several WCAG violations, including: * Lack of alternative text for non-text elements and linked images. * Empty links that contain no text and redundant links. * Missing title frames for identification and navigation. * Forms not providing the same information and functionality as for sighted persons. * Text that cannot be resized up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. * Keyboard operable user interfaces lacking a discernible focus indicator. * Inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDFs).
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
The lawsuit was filed by Plaintiff Thuy Thanh Alonzo, represented by WILSHIRE LAW FIRM.
What legal risk does this create?
This lawsuit highlights the legal risk for any business operating an online platform that is not fully accessible to disabled users, particularly those who rely on screen-reading software. Non-compliance with ADA Title III and state accessibility laws can lead to class action litigation, demands for permanent injunctions to remediate websites, and significant statutory damages.