Dozens of North Coast wineries have been sued, mostly by the Center for Disability Access, a part of Potter Handy LLP, a San Diego, Claif., civil rights law firm, according to the Press Democrat newspaper. Court documents describe the plaintiff as Andres Gomez, who is described as a “legally blind man who uses screen-reader software, which is designed to audibly describe what’s displayed on the screen and guide the visitor in navigating the site and inputting information.”
Wine Institute, Napa Valley Vintners and Sonoma County Vintners have alerted their members about the risk of such actions and provided tips that could help them start developing solutions.
Among the problems encountered by Gomez is text descriptions for images, too low of contrast between background and foreground elements, lack of keyboard accessibility, and a user interface that doesn’t have built-in instructions for assistive devices.
Cases relying on the Americans with Disabilities Act that are filed in federal court have also been growing. But federal guidelines are murky, last really updated in 2010. Advocacy groups have asked the Justice Department to provide rulemaking on website standards. The National Federal of the Blind has called for congressional action and criticized law firms that “seem to be more interested in a quick monetary settlement as opposed to working with companies to ensure that their website is accessible.”
One provider of artificial intelligence solutions is AudioEye. Another is UserWay.