ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Florida Restaurant Chain

Plaintiff Victor Ariza, represented by Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A., filed an ADA Title III lawsuit against a Florida for-profit corporation operating a chain of restaurants in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 29, 2025. The plaintiff, who is blind and uses screen reader software, alleges that the defendant's website presents significant access barriers, preventing equal access to its services and information.

The lawsuit specifically details several WCAG violations, including inaccessible pricing information, unavailable shopping cart details (item name and price) to screen reader users, a lack of notification when an item is removed from the cart, and no indication to screen reader users when item quantities are increased or decreased. Furthermore, the complaint notes that an installed third-party "accessibility" widget/plugin proved ineffective and continued to be a barrier for visually disabled persons, indicating a failure to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA or higher.

This case underscores the legal risk for similar businesses, particularly those in the restaurant and food service industry, that operate e-commerce websites. Failure to ensure that digital platforms are fully accessible to individuals with visual disabilities, in compliance with ADA Title III and WCAG standards, can result in federal lawsuits seeking injunctive relief, remediation of access barriers, and the recovery of attorney's fees and costs.