The U.S. Department of Justice recently entered into settlement agreements with Hy-Vee and Rite Aid in response to the DOJ’s concern that the companies’ vaccine registration websites were not accessible to individuals with vision impairments and other disabilities.

On October 7, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition filed by Domino’s Pizza asking the Court to decide whether Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to websites and mobile apps.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision on January 15, 2019 in a closely followed web accessibility case, Robles v. Domino’s Pizza, LLC, reaffirming Ninth Circuit precedent holding that companies whose online activities share a nexus with physical places of public accommodation may be held liable under the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing to make their websites and apps accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), first enacted in 1990, generally requires that retailers — as “places of public accommodation” — provide access for those with disabilities to the goods and services offered.

As retailers enter the holiday season amid a period of increased compliance lawsuits related to the ADA, we offer some timely ways to steer clear of potential ADA pitfalls.