Hyatt class action lawsuit claims website not equally accessible to blind, visually impaired

Hyatt website class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Flor Jiminez filed a class action lawsuit against Hyatt Corporation. 
• Why: Jiminez claims Hyatt failed to make its website fully and equally accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court. 

Hyatt Corporation failed to design its website so that it would be fully and equally accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Flor Jiminez, who is legally blind, claims Hyatt’s website contains access barriers to screen-reading software used by individuals who are blind and visually impaired to use the internet. 

Jiminez argues these alleged access barriers keep individuals who are blind or visually impaired from having full and equal access to the products and services offered on Hyatt’s website, in an alleged violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

“Defendant’s denial of full and equal access to its website, and therefore denial of its products and services offered thereby and in conjunction with its physical locations, is a violation of Plaintiff’s and the Class Member’s rights under the (ADA),” the Hyatt class action states. 

Jiminez wants to represent a nationwide class of legally blind individuals who have attempted to access Hyatt’s website using screen-reading software since January 2022 and a California class of legally blind individuals who similarly attempted to access Hyatt’s website from January 2022 to July 31, 2023. 

Hyatt website contains ‘numerous’ access barriers to screen-reading software, says class action

Jiminez argues Hyatt’s website contains “numerous” access barriers to screen-reading software, including but not limited to form elements that are “not coded to properly interface with Plaintiff’s screen reader.”

“These barriers prevent users who rely on a screen reader from being able to filter their hotel search results thus preventing them from searching for and booking a hotel room using Defendant’s website,” the Hyatt class action states. 

In addition to allegedly violating the ADA, Jiminez claims Hyatt is in violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. She is demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of statutory damages for herself and all class members. 

Hyatt also came under fire last year after the state of Texas accused the hospitality company of violating state law by allegedly omitting mandatory fees from quoted prices for its daily room rates. 

Have you attempted to access Hyatt’s website using screen-reading software? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Thiago M. Coelho, Shahin Rezvani, Jennifer M. Leinbach, Jesenia A. Martinez and Jesse S. Chen of the Wilshire Law Firm, PLC. 

The Hyatt website class action lawsuit is Jiminez v. Hyatt Corp., et al., Case No. 2:23-cv-03028, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

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