Beyoncé sued over website accessibility

A class action suit claims that Beyonce.com does not cater to visually impaired users.

January 04, 2019
Beyoncé sued over website accessibility Beyonce performs on stage during a Get Out The Vote concert in support of Hillary Clinton at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio on November 4, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.   Duane Prokop/Getty

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Beyoncé’s company Parkwood Entertainment over claims its website denies equal access to visually impaired users. THR reports the lawsuit was filed on Thursday in New York by a blind woman named Mary Conner. She argues that Beyonce.com has no alt-text coded behind its photos and therefore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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“There are many important pictures on beyonce.com that lack a text equivalent," Dan Shaked, attorney for plaintiff Mary Conner, said. "As a result, Plaintiff and blind beyonce.com customers are unable to determine what is on the website, browse the website or investigate and/or make purchases.”

The lawsuit also mentions the absence of accessible drop-down menus and the inability to use a keyboard instead of a mouse.The FADER has contacted representatives for Beyoncé for comment.

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Beyoncé sued over website accessibility