McDonald’s Website Violates ADA: Federal Lawsuit

OAK BROOK, IL — A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Oak Brook-based McDonald’s Corporation for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Unruh Civil Rights Act of California (UCRA). The suit was filed on behalf of Sean Gorecki, a legally blind California man who has been unable to use the McDonald’s website and mobile app.

The lawsuit alleges that the company’s mobile app and website are not equipped with formatting and capabilities to serve visually impaired or blind customers. Many blind and visually impaired people use screen reader software to navigate websites, but the sites and apps must be formatted properly to be used with such tools. An attorney with Payton/Dunn and Manning, the firm representing Gorecki, said in a statement that deciding not to implement this formatting is a “clear violation of the ADA and UCRA” by McDonald’s.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction that will require a full reformatting of the McDonald’s website and app to make them more accessible and compliant with UCRA and ADA requirements. In the website’s current format, Gorecki has been unable to open links, navigate menus and perform other functions because the screen reader cannot properly process the website’s current structure.

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