Retailers Welcome 11th Circuit ADA Ruling on Websites

By [ Deborah White ]
Washington, DC
04/08/2021

The following statement was issued by Deborah White, President of the Retail Litigation Center in response to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision announced yesterday in Gil v. Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. finding that websites do not meet the definition of public accommodation under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act:

“Retailers salute the 11^th Circuit’s decision holding that websites are not places of public accommodation within the meaning of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For years the plaintiffs’ bar has been filing meritless lawsuits trying to manipulate the ADA into something beyond what Congress wrote. We are delighted that Winn-Dixie chose to pursue its case to achieve an important ruling for the industry. Now, retailers in the 11^th Circuit will be able to focus their resources on ensuring that customers of all abilities have access to the goods and services they need rather than defending themselves against baseless claims. We hope other circuits will look to the 11^th Circuit for guidance in future ADA cases of this nature.”

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Retail Litigation Center

Directed by the chief legal officers of the country's leading retail companies, the Retail Litigation Center (RLC) is the only organization dedicated to advocating for the industry's top priorities in the federal and state judiciary. The RLC also works with leading law firms and retail corporate counsel to develop forward-thinking strategies to combat meritless mass action litigation. Founded by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) in 2010 as an independent organization, the RLC is a 501(c)(6) membership association open to all retailers and select law firms.