Cesar Cotto v. United States of Aritizia Inc.

Summary

On May 31, 2019, Cesar Cotto filed a Complaint in California State court against United States of Aritizia Inc. . Plaintiff Cesar Cotto alleges that www.aritizia.com is not accessible per the WCAG 2.0, Section 508 accessibility standard(s).

About the defendant

United States of Aritizia Inc. creates, develops, and sells women's fashions.

What the complaint says

The problems the plaintiff describes with the website.

• The home page has graphics, links, and buttons that are not labeled or are incorrectly labeled, or lack alternative text ("Alt-text")
• Multiple unlabeled or mislabeled buttons and links
• Inaccessible slideshow which was not viewable to screen-reading technology
• Product search feature that contained inaccessible search filters, forcing Plaintiff to browse each product individually
• Unable to browse discounted items because sale filters were inaccessible to screen-reading technology
• Unable to make a purchase because the "MyBag'ink was inaccessible to screen-reading technology

Legal claims

The laws the plaintiff says the defendant broke, called causes of action.

• Violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code §51 et seq.

What the plaintiff asks for

What the plaintiff wants the court to order.

• Violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code §51 et seq.
• A Declaratory Judgment that at the commencement ofthis action Defendant owns, maintains, and(or operates its Website in a manner which discriminates against the blind, fails to 18 provide access to blind or visually-impaired individuals, and that Defendant took no action that was reasonably calculated to ensure that its Website is fullyaccessible to, and independently usable by 20 blind and visually impaired individuals in violation ofCalifornia’s Unruh Act, California CivilCode 21 fJ 51, et seq
• A preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining Defendant from further violations ofthe UCRA, CivilCode Ij 51 et seq. with respect to its website www.aritizia.com
• A preliminary and permanent injunction requiring Defendant to take the steps necessary to make www.aritizia.com readily accessible to and usable by blind and visually-impaired individuals but Plaintiffhereby expressly limits the injunctive reliefto require that Defendant expend no more than $ 50,000 thereon
• An award of statutory minimum statutory damages ofnot less than $4,000 per violation pursuant to j(52(a) ofthe California Civil Code
• An additional award of $4,000.00 as deterrence damages for each violation pursuant to Johnson v. Guedoir, 218 F. Supp. 3d 1096; 2016 I..S. Dist. LEXIS 150740 (USDC Cal, E.D. 2016)
• For attorneys' fees and expenses pursuant to all applicable laws including, without limitation, Civil Code 52(a)
• For pre-judgment interest to the extent permitted by law
• For costs of suit
• For such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.