Rebecca Castillo, a visually-impaired individual, has filed a lawsuit against Crocs, Inc., alleging that the company's website is not accessible to blind and visually-impaired users. The complaint was filed on January 13, 2025, in the Superior Court of California for Ventura County. Castillo claims that Crocs' failure to make its website accessible violates both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, Castillo relies on screen-reading software (SRS) to access digital content but encountered numerous barriers when attempting to use Crocs' website. These barriers included unlabeled graphics and buttons, insufficient navigational headings, and an inaccessible ordering system. Castillo argues that these issues prevent her from accessing the same information and services available to sighted users, thereby denying her full and equal access as required by law.
The lawsuit contends that Crocs' website should adhere to established guidelines for web accessibility, such as those outlined by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. These guidelines include adding alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard navigability, and providing descriptive labels for interactive elements. Castillo alleges that Crocs has failed to implement these basic accessibility features despite their widespread adoption by other businesses.
Castillo seeks a permanent injunction requiring Crocs to modify its corporate policies and procedures to ensure its website becomes fully accessible to blind and visually-impaired consumers. She also requests statutory damages under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act for each violation of her rights. Additionally, Castillo seeks reasonable attorneys' fees and litigation costs associated with bringing the lawsuit.
The case is being handled by Joseph R. Manning Jr., Esq., of Manning Law APC, representing Rebecca Castillo. The case ID is #025CUCRO37115 in the Superior Court of California for Ventura County.