October 8, 2019•Advocacy Matters
Advocacy Matters: United States Supreme Court Opens New Terms
Disability Matters with Joyce Bender
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
#AdvocacyMatters: United States Supreme Court Opens New Terms
On Monday, the United States Supreme Court began its new term. The Court will hear arguments on cases and make decisions until the end of June 2020.
On their first day in session, the Supreme Court decided not to review a case regarding website accessibility. The case was Domino’s Pizza v. Guillermo Robles. The case was on appeal from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The 9th Circuit ruled that Domino’s pizza, as well as other retailers, must make its website and mobile applications accessible. The case was brought under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
The 3-judge panel held that the ADA applied to Domino’s because the ADA mandates that places of public accommodations, like Domino’s, provide auxiliary aids and services to make visual materials available to individuals who are blind. The panel further stated that that ADA applies to the services OF a public accommodation, not services IN a place of public accommodation. The website and mobile applications connect customers to the goods and services offered by Domino’s.
The 9th Circuit did not express an opinion about whether Domino’s website or mobile application complied with the ADA. The court left it to the district court, after further discovery, to decide whether it met the ADA mandates.
To view links to articles about the case and to view the 9th Circuit ruling on the issue, visit disabilityrightspa.org.