Roku Allegedly Violates ADA by Denying the Blind ‘Equal Access’ to Internet
Roku denies visually impaired Americans “equal access” to the internet by maintaining “barriers” on its e-commerce store, said a complaint (in Pacer) in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn Wednesday seeking class-action status. The complaint alleges Roku violates the Americans with…
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Disabilities Act. Roku shuns use of “assistive computer technology,” said Victor Andrews, a Brooklyn resident who's blind. He tried to shop Roku.com in January but was thwarted because it lacks “readily available accessible technology” in place at “other heavily trafficked websites,” said the complaint. The company declined comment. Roku relies "on a predominantly visual interface,” so sighted customers “can independently browse and purchase products without the assistance of others,” said the complaint. There are "well-established guidelines" for making sites more accessible, including those of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative, it said. Andrews is represented by C.K. Lee, who filed companion federal complaints in December alleging Apple and Samsung smartphones shortchange the public on screen resolution (see 1812180007).