PITTSBURGH – A not-for-profit organization is suing Ace Hardware alleging that the company failed to comply with certain Americans with Disabilities Act standards for Internet sites.
Access Now Inc., Michelle Sipe, Jill Gross and R. David New filed a complaint on Dec. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Ace Hardware Corp., alleging that the website is not accessible to visually impaired or blind people and is in violation of the ADA.
According to the complaint, Sipe, Gross and New are all individuals who suffer from visual impairment. Because of this disability, they are not able to use standard Internet sites and instead must rely on the versions of the websites which can be read by their computers using screen-reading software, which make it possible for blind individuals to read printed information, the complaint states. They allege that Ace Hardware's website was not designed with the accommodations necessary for visually impaired individuals, and because of this the plaintiffs are suing the corporation.
The plaintiffs seek compensation for all legal fees and damages suffered. They are represented by R. Bruce Carlson, Benjamin J. Sweet and Stephanie K. Goldin of Carlson, Lynch, Sweet and Kilpela LLP in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:15-CV-01626