Ring class action claims website not fully accessible to blind, low-vision users

Ring website class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Braulio Thorne filed a class action lawsuit against Ring LLC. 
• Why: Thorne claims Ring violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to make its website fully accessible to and independently usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
• Where: The Ring class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court. 

Ring LLC 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 Braulio Thorne’s class action lawsuit claims Ring’s website contains access barriers to screen-reading software used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired to browse the internet. 

Thorne, who is blind, argues the alleged access barriers on Ring’s website deny individuals who are blind or visually impaired from having full and equal access of Ring’s website and the products and services it offers, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

“The Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer frustration and humiliation as a result of the discriminatory conditions present on Defendant’s website,” the Ring class action says. 

Thorne wants to represent a nationwide class as well as New York City and New York state subclasses of legally blind individuals who have attempted to access Ring’s website and been denied access to the equal enjoyment of goods and services it offers.

Ring website contains access barriers to screen-reading software, class action claims

Access barriers to screen-reading software found on Ring’s website include a lack of alt text, empty links containing no text, redundant links, linked images missing alt text, broken links and duplicate title elements, according to the Ring class action. 

“These access barriers that Plaintiff encountered have caused a denial of Plaintiff’s full and equal access multiple times in the past, and now deter Plaintiff on a regular basis from visiting Defendant’s Website,” the Ring class action says. 

In addition to allegedly violating the ADA, Thorne claims Ring is in violation of New York City Human Rights Law and New York State Human Rights Law. 

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for himself and all class members. 

A similar class action lawsuit against women’s clothing retail chain Maurices alleges the company violated the ADA by failing to make its website fully and equally accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. 

Have you been denied full and equal access to goods and services on Ring’s website? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Michael A. LaBollita, Jeffrey M. Gottlieb and Dana L. Gottlieb of Gottlieb & Associates PLLC. 

The Ring website class action lawsuit is Thorne v. Ring LLC, Case No. 1:24-cv-02287, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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