Lawsuit claims Apple’s website violates the Americans with Disabilities Act

Another day, another lawsuit. As noted by AppleInsider, Apple is being sued over claims that the company’s website is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not being fully accessible to blind or visually-impaired consumers.

Filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York on Sunday, the complaint from the plaintiff Himelda Mendez is said to be filed on behalf of other users in a similar accessibility situation. Apple is the sole defendant in the lawsuit. 

According to the filing, Mendez — described as a “visually impaired and legally blind person” who uses screen-reading software to access the Internet — visited the Apple website earlier this month but encountered “multiple access barriers” that denied “full and equal access to the facilities, goods, and services offered to the public,” such as being able to browse and purchase products, make service appointments, or learn of the facilities available in Apple Stores in New York, the city where Mendez is resident. 

It will be interesting to see Apple’s response to the lawsuit. On its Inclusion and Diversity web page, the tech giant says: “The most powerful technology should be accessible to everyone. It’s one of our core beliefs. And it’s the reason we design our products for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. So everyone has the opportunity to create, work, and play.”