Winn-Dixie Stores
First-ever website ADA case to go to trial. The grocery chain spent $250,000 fixing the site anyway.
Juan Carlos Gil is blind. He used the Winn-Dixie website to refill prescriptions and download digital coupons — except he couldn't, because the site didn't work with screen readers. In 2017, his case became the first website accessibility lawsuit ever to reach a full trial. The judge ruled for Gil.
Four years later, an appeals court reversed that ruling on a technicality — but by then Winn-Dixie had already spent more than $250,000 rebuilding their site. The lesson became famous: even when you eventually "win," defending an inaccessible website costs more than fixing it would have in the first place.
Court
Southern District of Florida; affirmed / vacated by 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
Case
Gil v. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
1:16-cv-23020 (district); 17-13467 (11th Cir.)
Outcome
District court injunction in favor of plaintiff (2017); 11th Circuit reversed on grounds website is not 'place of public accommodation' but then vacated its own ruling as moot (2021). Case dismissed. Plaintiff did not prevail at appeal level.
What went wrong on the site
Each visual below shows what visitors with disabilities actually experienced.
<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
Click only — Tab key does nothing
Core interactions required a mouse. Keyboard-only users could not navigate menus, complete checkout, or operate widgets.
WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard
Sources & documentation
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