ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: An Online Furniture Retailer

Plaintiff Thuy Thanh Alonzo, represented by WILSHIRE LAW FIRM, filed a class action lawsuit on August 27, 2021, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against an online furniture retailer. The complaint alleges that the defendant's website is not fully and equally accessible to blind and visually-impaired individuals, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.

The lawsuit details multiple accessibility barriers, including a lack of text equivalents for non-text elements such as graphics, images, and linked images, as well as inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Other reported issues include empty links lacking descriptive text, redundant links, title frames without text for identification and navigation, forms that do not offer the same information and functionality as for sighted users, missing labels or instructions for user input, and user interface elements that are not programmatically determinable. These deficiencies hinder screen-reader users from independently accessing the website's content and services.

This case highlights significant legal risks for businesses operating e-commerce websites if their digital platforms fail to meet web accessibility standards like WCAG 2.0/2.1. Non-compliant websites can lead to lawsuits seeking injunctive relief to mandate accessibility improvements and statutory damages under state laws such as California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, alongside attorneys' fees and costs. Businesses in similar industries must ensure their online services are accessible to all users to avoid potential legal liability.