Aldi Class Action Says Grocery Store Not Wheelchair Accessible

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An Aldi class action lawsuit says that the grocery store is not wheelchair accessible.

Plaintiff Richard Dieter states that he is a wheelchair user who has visited an Aldi grocery store in Pittsburgh, Pa. multiple times in the last year.

He claims that he experienced significant difficulty moving between the store and an accessible parking spot, because the access between the two contained excessive slopes.

According to Dieter, Aldi is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Aldi class action lawsuit states that Dieter plans to return to this Aldi store despite the risks and inconvenience that the facility poses. He says the store is conveniently located near where he travels for business.

The plaintiff goes on to state that he plans to visit the store again to see if the facilities have been altered to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Aldi wheelchair accessible class action lawsuit alleges that the design of the pathway between the parking spot and the store is unnecessarily dangerous to people with disabilities who rely on the path to access the store.

Dieter goes on to state that his experience is not an isolated instance. He claims that not only he, but other wheelchair users have difficulty accessing the facility.

Additionally, The plaintiff says that multiple Aldi stores violate the ADA, because the stores are centrally designed. He argues that Aldi knew or should have known that their facilities violated the ADA.

The Aldi accessibility class action lawsuit states that Aldi’s “centralized design, construction, alteration, maintenance, and operational polices and practices have systematically and routinely violated the ADA by designing, constructing architectural barriers, and by failing to painting and operate facilities so that the accessible features of [Aldi’s] facilities are maintained.”

Allegedly, investigators examined multiple Aldi stores on Dieter’s behalf to reach this conclusion. The investigators found that the facilities violated ADA regulations specifically because:

• Surfaces of one or more designated accessible parking spots has slopes exceeding 2.1 percent
• Signage marking accessible spaces were not sufficiently visible
• There was one or more groups of accessible parking spots in which no parking spaces were designated as “van accessible”
• A grate in the surface of an accessible parking space or access area had openings that would allow the passage of a 1/2 inch sphere

The Aldi wheelchair accessible class action lawsuit claims that as the store designs are centrally determined, the stores will likely continue to violate the ADA and pose dangers to users unless Aldi implements a corporate-level change in policy and practices.

As a result, Dieter seeks an injunction requiring Aldi to modify their policies and practices regarding ADA compliance.

Additionally, the plaintiff seeks damages on behalf of himself and all other similarly affected consumers who were negatively affected by Aldi’s lack of accessible facilities.

Dieter is represented by Benjamin J. Sweet of Carlson Lynch Sweet Kilpela & Carpenter LLP.

The Aldi ADA Accessibility Class Action Lawsuit is Richard Dieter v. Aldi Inc., Case No. 2:18-cv-00846, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.