ADA Lawsuit Filed Against Progressive Over ‘Discriminatory’ Website

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The Progressive Corporation and Progressive Specialty Insurance Agency, Inc. are facing a proposed class action lawsuit filed in New York over claims that the defendants violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and several state civil rights laws by failing to make their website compatible with the screen-reading technology used by blind internet users. The plaintiff in the case, a blind New York man, says he was unable to access information about the defendants’ office hours and locations and learn about the insurance services they offer because their website contained several obstacles that prevented his free navigation of its content. The complaint claims the site lacked alternative text that allows screen readers to interpret site content and contained empty or redundant links that result in confusion and needless repetition for blind users. As a result, the suit argues, the plaintiff was unable to find the information he needed and was deterred from visiting the defendants’ physical offices, as the locations were allegedly not accessible online.