Meijer has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice after violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Grand Rapids-based Meijer operated more than 245 stores across six Midwestern states. It provides COVID-19 vaccinations through online appointment scheduling.
However, its COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Portal was not user friendly for everyone violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. To that end, the screen reader was not accessible for some users with disabilities. The format also made it difficult for others using the mouse. Ultimately, customers with disabilities were unable to make appointments. Those who used screen readers were unable to submit basic information on scheduling forms.
Under Title III of the ADA it, “Requires public accommodations, like grocery stores, to provide individuals with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of goods and services, such as vaccines. The ADA also requires public accommodations to ensure effective communication with people with disabilities, including through use of auxiliary aids and services like accessible technology.”
Under the settlement, Meijer will fix its COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Portal and regularly test it insuring its accessible to users with disabilities.