A seminal 2006 case that was one of the first to legally establish the need for commercial websites to be accessible under the ADA.
In 2006, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) filed a class-action lawsuit against Target Corporation. The NFB alleged that Target's website, Target.com, was inaccessible to blind customers using screen-reading software. This prevented them from independently locating and purchasing products, accessing discounts, and performing other online tasks.
This early case sought to define websites as "places of public accommodation" under ADA Title III, despite the lack of direct physical connection.
The primary question was whether a purely commercial website without a strict "nexus" to a physical store could be classified as a place of public accommodation under the ADA.
The case was settled, with Target agreeing to a binding agreement to make their site fully compliant, establishing an **unprecedented legal foundation** for digital accessibility.
Target paid $6 million in damages and committed to conforming to the **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)** standard, setting a benchmark for online retailers across the United States for years to come.
WCAG
MANDATE
Established WCAG as the compliance standard.
This case served as the **first major wake-up call** for large-scale e-commerce. It dictates that all retailers, regardless of the strength of their "nexus," must view their websites as extensions of their customer service and ensure full compliance. It cemented **WCAG** as the de facto technical standard.