ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — On Monday, October 7, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on Domino’s v. Robles. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and its nationwide membership applauds this decision and commends the Supreme Court for their action. The unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit made it resoundingly clear that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to websites, and by declining to hear Domino’s appeal, the Supreme Court upholds the civil rights of people who are blind and visually impaired in online commercial settings.
As we celebrate 29 years of the ADA, it is important to note that guidelines and best practices for digital accessibility have existed for decades. The World Wide Web Consortium developed the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and these guidelines are included in the federal government’s Section 508 standards.
“ACB has worked with numerous companies to seamlessly integrate accessible universal design into their digital offerings; this makes it more difficult to understand Domino’s position that their website is not for customers who are blind and visually impaired. Companies like Domino’s should welcome the flexibility created by these guidelines and standards to implement accessibility in a way that makes their products and services available to all paying customers,” said Eric Bridges, ACB’s Executive Director.
The ADA is not the problem, and weakening civil rights protections for people with disabilities is not the answer. Rather than settling for a quick fix, or attempting to weaken the equal access protections of the ADA, companies should ensure that all Americans have equal physical and digital access to their products and services.
To this end, the American Council of the Blind is prepared to collaborate with Domino’s and other companies to create and implement innovative accessibility and universal design solutions that make their products and services available to all consumers, regardless of ability.
The American Council of the Blind is a national grassroots consumer organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired. With 70 affiliates, ACB strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Learn more by visiting www.acb.org.
SOURCE American Council of the Blind