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Groupon violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to offer promotions at disabled-accessible facilities, according to a class action lawsuit.
Plaintiff Andrew Huzar says defendant Groupon Inc. has been failing to offer event tickets and travel arrangements that are accessible to persons with disabilities. In doing so, he argues, Groupon is in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.
Title III generally prohibits private owners and operators of “places of public accommodation” from discriminating against disabled persons on the basis of their disability. Under this law, disabled persons are entitled to “the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.”
Regulations promulgated under the ADA provide that public accommodations selling event tickets must meet several specific requirements to ensure that disabled persons have an equal opportunity to purchase tickets for accessible seating, Huzar says.
Huzar, whose spina bifida requires him to use a wheelchair, says Groupon offers no accessible options at all for disabled persons who want to purchase tickets for accessible seating at sporting events.
In July 2016, Huzar says, he tried to purchase tickets from Groupon to some upcoming New York Jets football games, to be played at MetLife Stadium. Huzar says he knows from experience that MetLife Stadium has wheelchair-accessible seating.
However, Huzar found no tickets on the Groupon website that were designated for wheelchair-accessible seating for the games he was interested in.
Huzar reports having similar trouble making Groupon travel arrangements. In the same month in which he couldn’t get the Jets tickets he wanted, Huzar says he was unable to find wheelchair-accessible hotel accommodations on Groupon.
He tried to take advantage of a “Groupon Getaway” deal by reserving a room at a Red Lion Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Not seeing any signs of wheelchair-accessible accommodations on the Groupon website, he emailed Groupon and asked if wheelchair-accessible accommodations were available with that offer.
A Groupon representative responded with an email saying that “handicap-accessible rooms are not available.”
The plaintiff says he still wants to purchase wheelchair-accessible hotel stays and event tickets from Groupon, but he knows that attempting to do so would be futile due to the lack of such options.
Huzar is proposing to represent two plaintiff Classes. The First Class would cover all U.S. persons with a disability who wanted to purchase an accessible-designated ticket to a public event through the Groupon website but were unable to make such a purchase because of a lack of accessible ticket options.
The Second Class would cover all U.S. persons with a disability who were similarly unable to purchase accessible travel arrangements through Groupon.
He seeks a court injunction that would require Groupon to bring its policies and practices in line with ADA requirements.
Huzar is represented by attorneys Garret S. DeReus of Bizer & DeReus and Charles McElvenny of the Law Office of Charles E. McElvenny.
The Groupon Disability Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit is Andrew Huzar v. Groupon Inc., Case No. 1:17-cv-05383, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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31 thoughts onGroupon Class Action Says Lack of Accessible Options Violates ADA
Please include me in this. I’m wheelchair bound and cant get a lot of the offers id like to due to no handicap accessibility.
A.D.A. laws. You can find an attorney who specializes in representing people pretty easy now in the yellow pages or the state Attorney referral system where you live. 20 years ago it was hard to get anyone to represent a person, but now, with the aging population and the changes in both A.D.A laws and the HIPPA Laws–its much easier to prove a case and win.
I’m having the same problem as well. Disabled with walker and tried to book several times with no Ada success. Please let me know if I can be added to the suit
ease include me in this suit as I often use a Cain to assist in walking.
I have a cane and Walker and I get assisted help walking and carting my stuff as wel, as getting food for me to eat can I join law suit
I would like to join this as well as I am in a wheelchair and have called them about this several times.
How can I join this suit, hubby and I are both disabled and have encountered these problems
I often use a cane to walk. I have a family with kids, and I have often looked for coupons that will fit my needs.
Does this apply to cane use as well? Going to shows, climbing a mount a of stairs?
In a HOA OR POA SITUATION DO FISABLED PERSONS HAVE TIGHTS AND IF SO WHERE CAN I GO AND FIND A COPY OF SAID LAWS & RIGHTS WE HAVE
Its called Title 9, and you can find it at some non profits.