Cases / Florida Eye Specialists Suit (2024)

Blind Patient Files ADA Lawsuit Against a Doctor’s Clinic Over Inaccessible Website

In 2024, a visually impaired patient named Carlos Martinez filed a lawsuit against Florida Eye Specialists, a well-known ophthalmology and vision care group with multiple clinics across the state.

Case Background: Florida Eye Specialists Suit

Carlos, who is legally blind, attempted to use the clinic’s website to schedule an eye examination. Despite relying on screen-reading software (such as JAWS and NVDA), he was unable to complete the booking process due to serious accessibility issues.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. §12181 et seq.), which requires all places of public accommodation including medical websites to be accessible to people with disabilities.

Filed 2024, Settled/Remediated

Key Accessibility Barriers

The plaintiff reported multiple accessibility barriers that made the website unusable for blind users, preventing Carlos from independently booking his appointment. He described the experience as “frustrating and humiliating,” as it made him feel digitally excluded from a healthcare provider that specializes in vision care.

  • Images Without Alt Text: Critical visual content, such as service descriptions and promotional banners, lacked alternative text, leaving screen readers silent.
  • Unlabeled Form Fields: The online appointment and contact forms were not coded with accessible labels, so the screen reader couldn’t identify what information was required.
  • NonDescriptive Links: Buttons like “Click Here” or “Learn More” gave no context, making navigation impossible for users relying on voice guidance.
  • Poor Color Contrast: Text and icons were difficult to distinguish, even for users with partial vision or color blindness.
  • Keyboard Navigation Failure: Many interactive areas, like dropdown menus and date selectors, could not be accessed without a mouse.

Key Precedent and Outcome

The legal action claimed the medical group’s website violated Title III of the ADA. The suit demanded a permanent injunction requiring remediation to WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards and compensatory damages.

The attorney argued the website acted as a “digital front door,” and denying blind users access violated the ADA’s equal access requirement. Following the lawsuit, the clinic reached a confidential settlement and began implementing full accessibility upgrades, including proper heading structure, ARIA labels, and keyboard compatibility.

HEALTHCARE
ACCESSIBILITY

This case set an important example for healthcare providers nationwide.

Compliance Takeaway for Your Business

This case is a wake-up call for the **Healthcare industry**. Medical websites that offer appointment scheduling, patient forms, telehealth services, or online payments must follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to avoid discrimination and potential lawsuits.

At GetADAAlert, we work with doctors and healthcare providers to prevent ADArelated lawsuits through proactive web accessibility audits. By aligning medical websites with WCAG 2.2 and ADA Title III requirements, we ensure every patient—including those with disabilities—can access healthcare services equally and independently.

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