Is Your Website Accessible to All? [Oct. 2007]

By Thomas R. Burke

A federal court in San Francisco has certified a national class action lawsuit against Target Corporation for allegedly violating California and federal law by failing to make its website, Target.com, accessible to the blind. The lawsuit, filed by the National Federation of the Blind on behalf of one of its members in Northern California, alleges that the national retailer failed to enable its website to use screen-reading technology that allows blind users to access Target.com by having the content of a Web page audibly read to them. The plaintiffs contend they are denied “full and equal access” to Target’s 1,400 retail stores because they cannot readily access online, product and sales information that is used to make purchases in Target’s retail stores. Last year, the court dismissed claims brought by the plaintiffs that were based exclusively on features of the website unconnected to Target’s physical stores. “Brick and mortar” businesses that operate websites used by consumers to browse services or products that can be purchased at a physical location (e.g., a retail store) should pay particular attention to this ruling.