Playboy Sued by Blind Man Who Says Website Isn't Accessible

Playboy Sued by Blind Man Who Says Website Isn't Accessible

NEW YORK — A blind man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Playboy.com for discrimination because the site allegedly isn’t compatible with his screen-reading software.

In the suit, plaintiff Donald Nixon claims Playboy.com is violating the American Disabilities Act (ADA) by not making the site accessible to the blind.

Nixon is seeking class-action status with the civil suit that seeks unspecified damages and a change in “corporate policies, practices and procedures so that defendant’s website will become and remain accessible to blind and visually-impaired consumers.”

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Nixon, who lives in Queens, complained that blind and visually-impaired people “cannot fully and equally use or enjoy the facilities, products and services” because images lack “a text equivalent.” The suit also said that text cannot be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without losing content or functionality and that there are time limits that the user cannot extend.

The lawsuit also accuses PlayboyShop.com of breaching the ADA, and that because the software has the same issues, he’s unable to purchase products from the site.

According to the New York Post, Nixon has filed 47 similar suits against companies for ADA violations.

Industry attorney Lawrence Walters of Walters Law Group, who isn't a party to the suit, said that many ADA claims are settled out of court, "often after some reasonable accommodation is made and a monetary settlement is reached."

"It is difficult to determine at this early stage whether this claim is viable, but it should serve as a warning about the many legal risks taken by operating a website in the current litigious environment," Walters told XBIZ.

Nixon’s lawyer, Jonathan Shalom, and Playboy did not respond for XBIZ comments by post time.

View complaint

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kalani Luana Stars in Latest From Hookup Hotshot

Kalani Luana stars with Nade Nasty in the latest release from Hookup Hotshot (HUHS).

Lilyadick Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Canadian star Lilyadick has made her debut for TransAngels alongside Parker Savage in the video game-themed scene “Playing With The NPC Babe.”

Kazumi Stars in Latest From Tushy

Kazumi stars with Milan Ponjevic, Jax Slayher and Dan Damage in a new airtight scene from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Tushy.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Cherry Kiss Toplines Pat Myne's 'Anal Fetish Babes'

Cherry Kiss headlines director Pat Myne’s “Anal Fetish Babes,” from Evil Angel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

Nicole Aria Stars in Latest From Jules Jordan

Nicole Aria stars with John Strong and Zac Wild in the latest release from Jules Jordan.

Ellie Nova Is Hustler's 'Cover Honey' for December

Ellie Nova is the Cover Honey for the December issue of Hustler Magazine, appearing in a 14-page centerfold spread shot by ThisYearsModel.com.

Show More