Christina Spicer  |  October 21, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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Reebok class action lawsuitLast week in New York federal court, a class action lawsuit was filed against Reebok International Ltd. alleging that the footwear maker’s website is not accessible to visually impaired people because the site blocks software in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lead plaintiff Jose Del-Orden alleges in his class action lawsuit that Reebok.com is laced with software that blocks programs visually impaired people would use to access online content from the retailer.

“Reebok thus excludes the blind from the full and equal participation in the growing Internet economy that is increasingly a fundamental part of the common marketplace and daily living,” Del-Orden argues in the Reebok class action lawsuit. “Defendant is denying blind individuals throughout the United States equal access to the goods and services Reebok provides to its non-disabled customers.”

By filing the Reebok class action lawsuit, Del-Orden seeks to represent himself and a nationwide Class of individuals with visual impairments. He also seeks compensatory damages and injunctive relief for the “systemic civil rights violations.”

Del-Orden alleges in his class action lawsuit that the footwear retailer’s website, Reebok.com, contains thousands of access barriers that block assistive software, making it “difficult if not impossible for blind customers to use the website.” He explains in the Reebok class action lawsuit that as a visually impaired person, he cannot use a computer without the assistance of screen reader software.

According to the Reebok class action lawsuit, screen reader software vocalizes visual information on a computer screen and is necessary for a person with a visual impairment to access online content; however, Reebok.com allegedly contains technological barriers that do not allow blind people to use screen reader software and prevent them from independently navigating the site using that assistive computer technology.

“In the wave of technological advances in recent years,” alleges the Reebok class action lawsuit, “assistive computer technology is becoming an increasingly prominent part of everyday life, allowing blind people to fully and independently access a variety of services, including online shopping.”

“Despite readily available accessible technology, such as the technology in use at other heavily trafficked retail websites, which makes use of alternative text, accessible forms, descriptive links, resizable text and limits the usage of tables and JavaScript, Reebok has chosen to rely on an exclusively visual interface, including drop down menus and checkboxes that are inaccessible,” the Reebok class action lawsuit says.

The class action lawsuit alleges that because Reebok.com blocks screen reader software, people with visual impairments are not able to access the site in violation of the basic equal access requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as state law.

The plaintiff contents that a class action is necessary to resolve the claim because members of the Class are so numerous as approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired.

Del-Orden is represented by C.K. Lee and Anne Seelig of Lee Litigation Group PLLC.

The Reebok.com ADA Class Action Lawsuit is Jose Del-Orden v. Reebok International Ltd., Case No. 1:15-cv-08101, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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