ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: A Personal Care Product Retailer

Plaintiff Grace McCormick has filed a civil rights action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 6, 2025, against an online personal care product retailer. The lawsuit alleges that the defendant's consumer websites are not fully accessible to and independently usable by blind and visually impaired individuals, constituting a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act Title III.

The complaint details numerous Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA violations, including missing alternative text for images and promotional graphics, unlabeled form fields, inaccessible carousels and modal dialogs, keyboard navigation traps, lack of ARIA roles, improper heading structure, non-descriptive link text, links with empty attributes, and untagged PDFs. These barriers prevented the plaintiff from independently browsing products, comparing ingredients, and completing transactions, thereby denying her equal access.

This litigation highlights significant legal exposure for other online retailers whose digital platforms do not adhere to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Businesses operating consumer-facing websites that provide goods or services can face similar Title III claims, necessitating proactive accessibility remediation to avoid litigation, ensure equal access for disabled individuals, and maintain digital compliance.