National Federation of the Blind v. Greyhound - Website and Mobile App Accessibility

In February 2015, Tina Thomas, who is blind, attempted to book a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Greyhound.com but found that her text-to-speech screen reader software could not interpret Greyhound's website. When she called Greyhound to book her trip, explaining that she could not use the website, Greyhound still charged her a "convenience fee" for booking by phone. She tried to use the website again in early 2017, but the experience had not improved. Ms. Thomas and four other blind Californians, along with the National Federation of the Blind, filed a class action lawsuit against Greyhound in federal district court. The lawsuit alleges that Greyhound has designed its website and mobile app so that they cannot be used by blind people, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Title III) and California state laws. Accessibility barriers: - Website and mobile app incompatible with screen reader software - Text-to-speech software cannot interpret website content - Missing or improperly coded alt text for images and graphics - Forms and menus not properly coded for screen reader compatibility - Interactive elements not accessible to assistive technology users Legal framework: - Violates ADA Title III (public accommodations) - Violates California Unruh Civil Rights Act - Violates California Disabled Persons Act - Website and app must comply with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards Key complaint: The lawsuit highlights that while other major transportation providers (Southwest Airlines, Amtrak, Uber, and Lyft) have accessible websites or apps that blind people can use to book travel, Greyhound has not made the needed changes despite several requests from blind people and advocates. Discriminatory pricing: - Greyhound charges "convenience fees" for phone bookings - Blind users forced to pay extra fees for the only booking method accessible to them - Creates unequal treatment and financial burden on disabled customers The lawsuit may be certified as a class action if the court approves. The suit seeks an injunction requiring Greyhound to make the needed changes to its website and mobile app to achieve WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliance.