ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Food Service Mobile App

Plaintiff Aishia Petersen has filed an ADA Title III lawsuit against a food service mobile app provider in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, on April 5, 2021. The plaintiff, who is legally blind and uses an iPhone with Voiceover screen-reader, alleges that the defendant's mobile application is not fully accessible to visually impaired consumers, denying them equal access to its services and goods. This case highlights the crucial need for digital platforms to comply with federal accessibility mandates.

The complaint details several WCAG 2.1 Level A violations, including keyboard navigation failures where the screen jumps unexpectedly and locks users, preventing order placement. It further alleges missing descriptive text for images and pictures, incorrect or missing labels for input fields (such as account sign-up and payment methods), and crucial buttons lacking proper roles and accessibility for screen readers. Additionally, forms with errors display messages visually but fail to announce them or provide keyboard focus, and videos within the app lack accessible controls.

This legal action underscores the significant legal risk for businesses operating mobile applications that fail to incorporate auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities. Companies are advised to ensure their digital offerings, particularly those integrated with physical places of public accommodation, are designed and maintained to be fully accessible and independently usable by all users to avoid similar ADA Title III litigation and ensure compliance.