Crocs Faces ADA Lawsuit Over Website Barriers to Blind Shoppers

Case Overview: The lawsuit accuses Crocs of operating a retail website incompatible with screen readers, allegedly denying blind consumers equal access in violation of the ADA.

Consumers Affected: Blind and visually impaired individuals unable to navigate Crocs’ website independently.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Crocs is running a retail website that’s unusable for blind and visually impaired customers, a violation, a new lawsuit alleges, of federal disability law. 

The filing argues that Crocs has failed to design and maintain its online storefront in a way that works with screen-reading software, leaving blind consumers unable to browse products, access customer support, or complete purchases.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses open to the public must ensure equal access to the goods and services they offer online.

Plaintiff Says Screen Readers Couldn’t Navigate Crocs’ Online Store

Daniel Crosby, a legally blind New Yorker who relies on screen-reading software to shop online, filed the proposed class action lawsuit. Hoping to buy holiday gifts for his family, he visited Crocs’ website twice in late October and early November, using NVDA, the assistive technology he depends on for everything from medical portals to insurance tools. 

But instead of smooth navigation, he ran into barrier after barrier: missing image descriptions, unlabeled buttons, and broken code that prevented NVDA from announcing basic information such as size options, pricing, and how to add items to a cart.

Two automated scans conducted by his legal team found 29 accessibility errors across the pages he tried to use, issues that fall short of widely accepted accessibility standards.

With the site effectively unusable, Crosby couldn’t complete his purchase without sighted help, and he says he had no accessible path to report the problems or request assistance.

Accessibility Testing Found Dozens of Website Errors

According to the complaint, Crocs’ website is incompatible with the coding practices required for screen readers to function. Key parts of the site’s interface rely on visual cues without text equivalents. Buttons lack labels, form fields can’t be read by assistive tools, and dynamic menus don’t translate into audio or Braille output. 

The filing notes that these aren’t edge-case glitches, they’re the types of problems that make an entire site inaccessible to someone who navigates using a keyboard and audio prompts.

Crosby’s lawyers argue that Crocs has been aware of accessibility concerns for years. The company was sued previously over similar issues, yet many of the same digital barriers remain, suggesting a pattern of neglect toward blind and visually impaired customers who rely on accessible coding to shop independently.

Companies Across Industries Face Similar Accessibility Lawsuits

Crocs isn’t alone in facing legal action for having an allegedly inaccessible website. Companies across several industries have recently been sued for similar website accessibility failures. 

A visually impaired New York shopper has taken Papa John’s to court, alleging the pizza chain’s site is incompatible with screen readers, preventing customers from browsing menus or placing orders. 

Verizon faces a separate lawsuit claiming its site lacks fundamentals like alternative text and descriptive links, making key features unreachable for blind users. Concordia University and clothing retailer Maurices have also been hit with class action filings over digital roadblocks that prevent blind consumers from navigating their platforms without assistance. 

Crosby is asking to represent a nationwide class of blind consumers who tried to use Crocs’ website and were blocked by the same barriers. 

He’s seeking a court order requiring Crocs to overhaul its digital design, adopt recognized accessibility standards, and ensure its online services remain usable for blind and visually impaired customers.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Crosby v. Crocs Retail, LLC 
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-09359
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Robert Schonfeld (Joseph & Norinsberg, LLC)

Have you experienced accessibility issues on Crocs website? Share your thoughts on this lawsuit in the comments below.