Seyfarth Synopsis: In denying Dave & Buster's motion to dismiss and for summary judgment, a federal judge said that telephonic access might be an alternative to having an accessible website, but cannot decide until the record is much more developed.
No court has yet decided whether a public accommodation can comply with Title III of the ADA's equal access mandate by providing telephonic access to the information and services on a website blind people cannot use with a screenreader. However, last week federal Judge Philip Gutierrez of the Central District of California recognized it as a possibility, while allowing a website accessibility lawsuit against Dave & Buster's to move forward to discovery.
In Gorecki v. Dave & Buster's, Dave & Buster's filed a motion to dismiss and for summary judgment at the outset of the case, arguing that it had complied with the law by providing telephonic access to the information and services on its website. Specifically, it had placed an "accessibility banner" on its website stating: "If You Are Using A Screen Reader And Are Having Problems Using This Website, please call 1 (888) 300-1515 For Assistance." Dave & Buster's had staffed the line with a "receptionist." In response, the court acknowledged that the Department of Justice had stated in 2010 that telephonic access could be a means of complying with law in lieu of having an accessible website. However, the court found that the plaintiff had raised a genuine dispute as to whether having the phone line and receptionist satisfies the ADA because—among other things—Dave & Buster's failed to submit evidence that the accessibility banner itself was accessible (i.e., could be read) to screen reader users. The court concluded that "the record as it stands is insufficient to address compliance, so the court disagrees with D&B that the mere appearance of the phone number on the Website renders Gorecki's claim moot."
Our takeaway from this holding is that a defendant seeking to show that it is providing access to the information and services on its website through a telephone line must submit more robust evidence about how that telephonic provides equal access.
The court also rejected Dave & Buster's three other arguments for dismissal. First, the court said that holding Dave & Buster's liable for a Title III violation in the absence of regulations about websites would not violate due process because the DOJ made clear "as early as 1996" that websites are covered under the law, and plaintiff was not advocating for adherence to any particular set of accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Second, the court said dismissal was not appropriate under the doctrine of primary jurisdiction because "a finding of liability regarding the Website's compliance with the ADA does not require sophisticated technical expertise beyond the ability of the Court." These two holdings echo the same or similar holdings by virtually every other court that has considered these issues. Finally, the court stated that plaintiff did not necessarily have to request an accommodation from Dave & Buster's before filing suit.
Judge Gutierrez's decision is the third in which the Manning law firm in Newport Beach, CA has successfully rebuffed motions to dismiss website claims by defendants in federal court. The firm has appealed to the Ninth Circuit the one unfavorable decision it received in Robles v. Dominos Pizza. The opening brief will is due to be filed this week.
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