Top Class Actions: Bumble and Bumble class action claims website not accessible to visually impaired, blind visitors

By: Jessy Edwards

Hair product company Bumble and Bumble does not make its website accessible to blind and visually impaired people using a screen reader, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Daniel Rodriguez filed the class action lawsuit against Bumble and Bumble LLC on Nov. 10 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

Rodriguez is a visually-impaired and legally blind person who requires screen-reading software to read website content using their computer.

According to the complaint, Bumble and Bumble does not make its website, bumbleandbumble.com, accessible to those using a screen reader, in violation of the ADA.

On multiple occasions, Rodriguez visited bumbleandbumble.com to make a purchase, he says. 

“Despite his efforts, however, he was denied a shopping experience similar to that of a sighted individual due to the website’s lack of a variety of features and accommodations, which effectively barred Plaintiff from being able to determine what specific products were offered for sale,” the lawsuit states.

The barriers included a lack of alt text, lack of title attributes, and a “host of broken links” that effectively denied Rodriguez from using the website the way a sighted person would. 

Rodriguez looks to represent all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access the company’s website, plus a New York subclass. 

Rodriguez is suing under the ADA and for violations of the New York Human Rights Act. The plaintiff seeks an injunction forcing Bumble and Bumble to make its website compliant with the ADA; certification of the class action; and damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, a number of complaints claiming ADA violations have been filed recently against companies such as Whole Foods, HelloFresh, Dell and Mrs. Fields, among others.