ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: an online jewelry and accessories retailer

Plaintiff Arantza Espinoza has filed an ADA Title III website accessibility lawsuit against an online jewelry and accessories retailer in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on March 22, 2024. The plaintiff, who is visually impaired and uses screen reader software, alleges that the e-commerce website contains significant access barriers preventing full and equal use by individuals with disabilities. This action seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as damages for alleged trespass.

The complaint details several specific WCAG 2.1 Level A violations, including failures in Link Purpose (In Context) for buttons such as Account, Wishlist, Cart, and Add to Wish List, making their purpose ambiguous to screen reader users. The website is also accused of Keyboard accessibility failures (2.1.1 Keyboard) for functions like searching, filtering products, specifying gift options during checkout, and selecting a date of birth during registration. Furthermore, the plaintiff alleges a lack of proper Labels or Instructions (3.3.2 Labels or Instructions) for input fields like gold type and date of birth, and a Keyboard Trap (2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap) preventing navigation past the Add to Cart button.

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing legal risks for online retailers and other public accommodations whose digital platforms fail to meet established accessibility standards like WCAG. Businesses operating e-commerce websites must ensure their platforms are fully navigable and comprehensible for all users, including those with visual impairments who rely on assistive technologies. Failure to address these common accessibility barriers can lead to similar litigation and the requirement for costly injunctive relief and modifications.