ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Professional Sports Team Website

Windy Lucius, represented by J. COURTNEY CUNNINGHAM, PLLC., filed an ADA Title III digital accessibility lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 27, 2020, against a professional sports team. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant's website and affiliated mobile application were not fully accessible to individuals with visual impairment disabilities who rely on screen-reading technology.

The complaint generally alleged that the website was not fully accessible to visually impaired individuals using screen-reading technology, in violation of the ADA. The consent decree references five specific issues alleged in the plaintiff's complaint regarding the website's accessibility, which the defendant agreed to remediate by August 1, 2020. The defendant also committed to maintaining a Website Accessibility Statement and using the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA) as its web accessibility standard.

This case highlights the ongoing legal risks for online platforms, particularly those operated by professional sports organizations, that fail to ensure their digital content and applications are fully accessible to users with visual disabilities. Businesses are compelled to proactively identify and address accessibility barriers to comply with ADA Title III and avoid potential litigation, focusing on standards like WCAG 2.0 AA to prevent claims of screen reader incompatibility and general digital accessibility barriers.