ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit: Online Cosmetics Retailer
Plaintiff's Firm: JOSEPH & NORINSBERG, LLC
Case Summary
Plaintiff Britany Cordoba has filed a lawsuit against an online cosmetics retailer in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 8, 2025. Ms. Cordoba, a legally blind individual, alleges that the defendant's e-commerce website is not fully accessible to blind and visually impaired users, violating ADA Title III and New York State and City Human Rights Laws. The complaint asserts that the website lacks meaningful ARIA labeling, semantic structure, and keyboard operability, preventing independent navigation and purchases.
The lawsuit details specific WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA violations, including missing alt text and placeholder labels, empty buttons and unlabeled form fields, broken links and server errors (repeated 400 Bad Request errors), duplicate element IDs and invalid markup, and disabled zoom and insufficient contrast for UI elements. These barriers rendered key product information unreadable and interactive features unusable for screen reader software like NVDA, preventing Ms. Cordoba from selecting product variants, reviewing ingredients, or initiating checkout.
This case highlights the ongoing legal risks for e-commerce businesses that fail to maintain WCAG-compliant digital infrastructure. Companies that offer unique, digitally personalized products or services primarily through their websites are particularly vulnerable to claims of discrimination if their platforms are not fully accessible to all users, emphasizing the need for comprehensive digital accessibility audits and remediation.
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Case Q&A
What specific WCAG violations is this online cosmetics retailer accused of?
The online cosmetics retailer is accused of missing alt text and placeholder labels, empty buttons and unlabeled form fields, broken links and server errors, duplicate element IDs and invalid markup, and disabled zoom and insufficient contrast, all violating WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA standards.
Who filed this lawsuit, and which law firm?
The lawsuit was filed by Britany Cordoba, represented by the law firm JOSEPH & NORINSBERG, LLC.
What legal risk does this create?
This creates a legal risk for companies whose e-commerce websites are not accessible to blind and visually impaired users, especially those selling unique products primarily online, as they may face similar lawsuits under ADA Title III and state disability laws.