Braille Gift Card Litigation Cases

Decision
The first decision in these cases concluded that “no read of the ADA supports the allegation [that retailers must carry Braille gift cards].” The Memorandum and Order fully agreed with the retailers’ arguments and cited the RLC's amicus brief in support of his decision.

Brief Filed
In October 2019, a wave of complaints was filed in a matter of weeks by a single law firm with a handful of plaintiffs against more than 200 retailers, restaurants, and movie theaters in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York alleging that these businesses were violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to carry Braille-embossed gift cards.
The RLC filed amicus briefs in support of 14 different motions to dismiss. Working with Jamie Dean at Womble Bond as well as Owen Glist and Taline Sahakian at Constantine Cannon, the RLC developed an amicus brief and strategy that led to filing an amicus brief before fourteen different judges, despite plaintiffs' opposition motions in each case. The RLC’s brief was joined by the National Retail Federation, the Restaurant Law Center, the National Association of Theater Owners, and the Retail Gift Card Association. Outside counsel for the brief were Jamie Dean (Womble Bond) and Owen Glist and Taline Sahakian (Constantine Cannon).

Case Documents

• RLC Amicus Brief in Mendez et al. v AnnTaylor et al. (August 28, 2020)
• Decision: Dominguez v. Banana Republic (April 23, 2020)
• RLC Amicus Brief (April 8, 2020)