Highlights for Children class action claims website not equally accessible to blind, visually impaired

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Highlights for Children website class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Rafia Lawal filed a class action lawsuit against Highlights for Children Inc. 
• Why: Lawal claims Highlights for Children failed to make its website fully accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

Children’s magazine Highlights for Children failed to make its website fully accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Rafia Lawal claims Highlights for Children’s website contains access barriers that deny individuals who are blind or visually impaired from having full and equal access to it, along with the goods and services it offers. 

Lawal argues Highlights for Children is ultimately violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by allegedly denying individuals who are blind or visually impaired with equal access to its website. 

“Because Defendant’s website … is not equally accessible to blind and visually impaired consumers, it violates the ADA,” the Highlights for Children class action states. 

Lawal wants to represent a nationwide class and New York City subclass of all legally blind individuals who attempted to access Highlight for Children’s website and were subsequently denied access to the equal enjoyment of its goods and services. 

Highlights for Children website contains access barriers to screen-reading software, says class action

Highlights for Children’s website contains access barriers that prevent it from working with screen-reading software used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired to access the internet, the Highlights for Children class action alleges. 

Access barriers to screen-reading software found on Highlights for Children’s website include a lack of alt text, missing label elements or title attributes, and broken links, among other things, the Highlights for Children class action alleges. 

“These access barriers effectively denied Plaintiff the ability to use and enjoy Defendant’s website the same way sighted individuals do,” the Highlights for Children class action states. 

In addition to allegedly violating the ADA, Lawal claims Highlights for Children is in violation of New York City Human Rights Law. 

Plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed against Sam Ash Music Corp. earlier this month by a consumer arguing the company failed to make its website fully accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 

Have you been denied access to the equal enjoyment of a company’s goods and services on account of a disability? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Mark Rozenberg of Stein Saks, PLLC. 

The Highlights for Children website class action lawsuit is Lawal, et al. v. Highlights for Children, Inc., Case No. 4:21-cv-06770, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Sam Ash class action claims website not fully accessible to visually impaired, blind visitors
• Moleskine class action claims website not accessible, usable to blind, visually impaired users
• A.I. Root class action claims candle website not accessible to blind, visually impaired
• Boston Market lawsuit claims properties not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act