The Netflix lawsuit filed in 2010, was a pivotal web accessibility lawsuit. This case was the first time a company that operated solely online was considered a place of public accommodation and required to provide reasonable access for disabled individuals. The lawsuit is clearly shows that the internet is a public space and all it’s information and resources should have reasonable accommodations for disabled users. Now, businesses that operate at physical store locations or online need to be concerned with web accessibility.
Netflix, an online video store, has agreed to offer closed captioning for all videos available on their website. The National Association for the Deaf (NAD) filled the class action lawsuit back in 2010, stating that the video site was a public space that was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The popular video company put a significant amount of effort trying to dismiss the case on the grounds that ADA does not apply to Netflix because it was replaced by new laws from the FCC to provide rules for captioning online. The Netflix argument did not go through when a Massachusetts Federal judge ruled that the FCC was meant to work with ADA laws and not to replace them. After a two year battle the class action lawsuit ended with the video service making an agreement to add captioning to all of it’s content by 2014, as well as implement other accessibility changes.
Netflix has Agreed To:
Netflix, an online video store, has agreed to offer closed captioning for all videos available on their website. The National Association for the Deaf (NAD) filled the class action lawsuit back in 2010, stating that the video site was a public space that was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The popular video company put a significant amount of effort trying to dismiss the case on the grounds that ADA does not apply to Netflix because it was replaced by new laws from the FCC to provide rules for captioning online. The Netflix argument did not go through when a Massachusetts Federal judge ruled that the FCC was meant to work with ADA laws and not to replace them. After a two year battle the class action lawsuit ended with the video service making an agreement to add captioning to all of it’s content by 2014, as well as implement other accessibility changes.
Netflix has Agreed To:
- Adding caption content within 30 days of posting by 2014, by 2015 must be added within 14 days and by 2016 within 7 days.
- Netflix offers video service on over 1,000 devices and captioning is available on many of those devices, but not all. In the future Netflix has made a promise to make significant efforts to work on all devices. However they are not required to work on 100% of all devices.
- $755,000 was awarded to the plaintiffs’ lawyers and $40,000 to go the official order of implementation over the upcoming 4 years.
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