Domino's was sued for having an inaccessible website, and lost in Court.
Back in 2015, a blind customer named Guillermo Robles tried to order a pizza from Domino’s website and mobile app using a screen reader. He could not complete his order, because key parts of the interface were not accessible. Labels were missing, controls were not announced properly, and navigation with a keyboard or screen reader broke the flow of the experience.
Robles sued Domino’s under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), arguing that a company that serves the public must provide an accessible way to order online. Courts agreed that the ADA applied to Domino’s digital products because they connect directly to a physical place of public accommodation: the pizza stores. After years of litigation, a federal court ruled that Domino’s had violated the ADA and ordered them to fix the site according to WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
For a designer, the key lesson is simple. If your product is a public service or connects to one, accessibility is not optional. Laws in many countries treat inaccessible digital products as discrimination against people with disabilities. That can lead to lawsuits, forced redesigns on tight deadlines, legal fees, and damage to brand trust.
The lesson: risk, cost, and responsibility
Domino’s spent years in court instead of spending months improving their UI. The legal costs and reputational impact probably dwarfed what an accessible redesign would have cost. After the final ruling, they still had to make their website and app accessible, but now under a court order.
For teams, skipping alt text or keyboard support might feel harmless in a sprint, but at scale it can become a legal problem. Thinking about accessibility early reduces that risk and shows regulators and users that your company takes inclusion seriously.