Fashion Nova
The biggest disclosed web accessibility settlement in years — and the DOJ said it wasn't enough.
Fashion Nova, the fast-fashion brand built almost entirely online, was sued in 2020 by blind shoppers who couldn't browse or buy clothes on their site. Product images had no descriptions, navigation didn't work with screen readers. The case settled in October 2025 for $5.15 million — among the largest known settlements in this area.
Then in early 2026, something unusual happened: the U.S. Department of Justice itself intervened, arguing that even the $5.15M settlement didn't do enough for blind customers. The DOJ said most of the money went to lawyers and the site fixes were vague. A judge set an evidentiary hearing for March 2026. The takeaway: federal regulators are watching settlements now, and "good enough" no longer is.
Settlement
$5.15M
Court
Northern District of California
Case
Alcazar v. Fashion Nova, Inc.
3:20-cv-01434
Outcome
Class action settlement — $5,150,000 total; California class members receive up to $4,000 per household; DOJ filed statement of interest opposing settlement as insufficient (Feb 2026); evidentiary hearing set March 30, 2026
What went wrong on the site
Each visual below shows what visitors with disabilities actually experienced.
Screen reader announces:
"Image. Image. Image."
Product images and key visuals had no alt text — screen readers announced 'image' or the file name instead of describing what users were looking at.
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content
<div onClick="buy()">
<div>Buy now</div>
</div>
Custom controls had no ARIA roles, so screen readers could not announce what they were or what state they were in.
WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value
Sources & documentation
- DOJ — Civil Rights Division case page: Alcazar v. Fashion Nova Inc.Primary
- DOJ — Statement of Interest opposing settlement (Feb 2026)Primary
- Lainey Feingold — $5.15M settlement in California web accessibility class action (Oct 2025)Primary
- Official settlement website — Alcazar v. Fashion Nova
- Seyfarth Shaw ADA Title III — DOJ throws wrench into proposed settlement (Feb 2026)Primary
- PR Newswire — Settlement notice press release
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