ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Online Boutique

Plaintiff Portia Mason, represented by Wilshire Law Firm, has filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on August 16, 2021, alleging that an online boutique's website is inaccessible to visually impaired users. The complaint asserts violations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act, claiming denial of full and equal access to the website's goods and services.

The complaint specifically details several WCAG violations, including the lack of alternative text for non-text elements and images, empty links without descriptive text, redundant links, and linked images missing alt-text. Further allegations include text that cannot be resized, content with enforced time limits, web pages lacking descriptive titles, unclear link purposes, indiscernible keyboard focus indicators, undefined default human language, and elements causing unexpected context changes. Issues with missing labels/instructions, improperly structured markup, and inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDFs) are also cited.

This action highlights significant legal risks for e-commerce websites and other online businesses that fail to design and maintain their digital platforms in compliance with ADA Title III and the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Non-compliance could lead to permanent injunctions requiring substantial website modifications, as well as statutory damages and attorney's fees, serving as a cautionary tale for businesses to proactively ensure their digital accessibility.