Can’t Use a Business’s Website Because You’re Blind? You May Have a Legal Claim
Businesses in Palm Beach Gardens and throughout South Florida that serve the public must be accessible under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). In particular, it is important for anyone who is blind or has low vision to know that the ADA requires businesses to be accessible not only in physical terms when customers visit the public place of business, but websites must be accessible, too. In short, if you cannot currently access or use a business’s website because you are blind or have low vision, you could have a legal claim. Our Palm Beach Gardens disability advocates can explain in more detail what businesses must do to ensure that their websites are accessible, and when members of the public may be eligible to file a legal claim.
Using Websites as a Person with Blindness or Low Vision
As the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice explains, “the ways that websites are designed and set up can create unnecessary barriers that make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to use websites, just as physical barriers like steps can prevent some people with disabilities from entering a building.” Yet such barriers do not need to exist, and individuals with disabilities should be able to access websites just as those without disabilities are able to do. For people who are blind or have low vision, this often means adjusting a website so that it is accessible to screen-reader devices or apps that can read website text aloud.
Title III of the ADA requires any business that is open to the public (i.e., a business that provides public accommodations) to make goods and services accessible to the public, including via the web.
Common Website Accessibility Issues for People with Blindness or Low Vision
Some of the most common website accessibility issues that may be violations of the ADA for blind or low-vision individuals include but are not limited to:
- Lack of accessibility for screen readers or similar apps;
- Lack of “alt text” on website images;
- Unlabeled buttons on the website;
- Inaccessible forms to fill out;
- Poor color contrast that can affect individuals with limited vision or color blindness; and
- Providing information through color alone, which can limit a person’s access when they are color blind.
Contact a Palm Beach Gardens ADA Violation Attorney for Help
Businesses in the Palm Beach Gardens area and throughout South Florida must comply with ADA requirements designed to ensure their goods and services are accessible to the public, including individuals with disabilities that include blindness and low vision. If you have attempted to access a business’s website and have been unable to do so because it is not accessible, the business may be in violation of the ADA and you could be eligible to file a claim. One of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens ADA violation lawyers at Sconzo Law Office can help you. We can speak with you today to learn more about the experience you have had and to help you to understand your rights under the ADA. If you are eligible to file an ADA claim, we are here to assist you through the entire process. Contact us today for more information.
Sources:
ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/
ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/