ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: a restaurant chain
Plaintiff's Firm: WILSHIRE LAW FIRM
Case Summary
Portia Mason, represented by WILSHIRE LAW FIRM, filed a class action complaint against an online restaurant chain in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on August 13, 2021. The lawsuit alleges that the defendant's website fails to provide full and equal access to visually-impaired and legally blind individuals, hindering their ability to access information, products, and services.
The complaint details numerous accessibility barriers, including the lack of alternative text for non-text elements and linked images, empty links, redundant links, and inaccessible Portable Document Formats (PDFs). Further alleged violations include the absence of title frames for navigation, forms not equally functional for sighted users, text that cannot be resized without loss of content, and web pages lacking descriptive titles. Other issues encompass keyboard navigation failures, user interface elements not programmatically determinable, and missing labels or instructions for user input, preventing independent website use by screen-reader users.
This action highlights the significant legal exposure for online businesses, particularly those in the food service industry, whose websites are not compliant with ADA Title III and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Companies that offer products and services online, especially those integrated with physical locations, face substantial risk if their digital platforms fail to meet established accessibility guidelines such as WCAG 2.1.
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Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this online restaurant chain accused of?
The website is accused of lacking alternative text for images and non-text elements, having empty and redundant links, and containing inaccessible Portable Document Formats (PDFs). Other issues include inadequate keyboard operability, missing page titles, and forms that are not equally accessible to visually-impaired users.
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
Portia Mason filed this class action lawsuit, represented by WILSHIRE LAW FIRM.
What legal risk does this create?
This case demonstrates the legal risk for online businesses, particularly restaurant chains, that fail to ensure their websites are accessible to disabled users under ADA Title III and state civil rights acts. Non-compliant digital platforms can lead to costly class action litigation and demands for injunctive relief.