--- title: Winn-Dixie Wins ADA Lawsuit but Chooses Web Accessibility description: Winn-Dixie wins their ADA lawsuit but still builds accessibility into their website and apps. Read about the curious case of Winn-Dixie and its impact. image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/website_accessibility_lawsuit.jpg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/winn-dixie-win-ada-lawsuit-but-choose-web-accessibility#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/winn-dixie-win-ada-lawsuit-but-choose-web-accessibility#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/winn-dixie-win-ada-lawsuit-but-choose-web-accessibility#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. 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This meant that they needed to make reasonable accommodations for accessibility for all users. The April 7th, 2021 decision in the Florida 11th Circuit Court, however, broke with this trend. A judge decided that Winn Dixie’s limited accessibility site, at the time of the lawsuit in 2017, *didn’t* violate the rights of the blind plaintiff under the ADA, A lot has been written on this most recent decision which we outline below, but it's worth noting that Winn-Dixie and Southeastern Grocers have not ignored accessibility since the start of this case. In fact, their website's accessibility statement acknowledges the importance and current commitment to accessibility.  One positive takeaway for the disability community is that fighting this lawsuit for Winn-Dixie has not been about if the grocer *should* make their website accessible, but if a plaintiff could force digital accessibility via an ADA lawsuit.  ## Gil vs. Winn Dixie: What Happened Juan Carlos Gil, the blind plaintiff, sued Winn Dixie. The plaintiff claimed the site violated the ADA in 2017. Aspects of the site weren’t compatible with [screen readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/assistive-technology-what-it-is-and-how-it-helps-me), so he was unable to order his medications online or download rewards cards. The initial bench trial concluded that the ADA *had* been violated, as the site was heavily integrated with the in-store experience. The case then went to the 11th circuit, where [J](https://www.lflegal.com/2021/04/justice-branch/)[udge Branch](https://www.lflegal.com/2021/04/justice-branch/) just recently reversed the decision. She claimed that the lack of site accessibility didn’t create an “intangible barrier” because the individual could go into the store. Branch also said that regulating ADA restrictions was best left to congress. This ruling ignored the fact that the site didn’t provide any accessibility aids because they claimed it wasn’t needed to do business. ## What This May Mean for Other Accessibility Lawsuits In Florida & Beyond The Gil vs. Winn Dixie case in Florida was groundbreaking, and not in a good way. It broke precedent, and it had people in legal, accessibility and disability communities wondering what it meant for other ADA lawsuits moving forward. While we don’t know exactly what will happen, I’ve got some predictions. Let’s take a look at what this might mean for accessibility lawsuits in Florida and others states in the US. ### 1. These Changes Will Most Likely Only Impact Florida-Based Cases Our team believes that we’re unlikely to see similar rulings adopted by other states, especially not at a rapid pace. It’s particularly unlikely that more politically liberal states like New York and California will *not* follow suit, and since the majority of cases from these two states, most ADA cases and rulings will likely remain largely unaffected. ### 2. It May Bring the DOJ Back to the Table Before 2016, the Department of Justice was actively involved in ADA cases, setting a strong precedent that websites needed to be fully accessible. With the change in administration, that stopped, but there’s a good chance that this may be resumed again, particularly following the Florida case that goes against their direct views and precedents that websites should be subjected to the ADA. It is worth mentioning that the judge mentioned that Congress should step in to set regulations; that may be something that happens, finally setting “recommendations” like [following the WCAG 2.1](https://blog.usablenet.com/what-is-wcag-2.1-and-why-you-should-adopt-it-asap) into law. ### 3. The Supreme Court May Get Involved It’s possible that the plaintiff won’t accept this ruling and that they’ll bring it to the Supreme Court. If so, there’s a solid chance that they would overturn the Florida ruling since it goes directly against the precedent set by the DOJ in multiple cases in the past. ## A Commitment to Accessibility Winn-Dixie has an accessibility statement posted on their website and commits to adhere to WCAG 2.0 AA and to use testers from the disability community to periodically check the accessibility of their site. We've included it below or you can[read the accessibility statement here. ](https://www.winndixie.com/about/accessibility-statement) > "Southeastern Grocers is committed to facilitating the accessibility and usability all of its digital properties, including “WinnDixie.com”, for all people with disabilities. Southeastern Grocers has implemented the relevant portions of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA) as its web accessibility standard. Our website is tested on a periodic basis with assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnifiers, and with users with disabilities who use these technologies." It's crucial that all businesses (including Florida businesses) are still ensuring that their sites are fully ADA accessible. Winn-Dixie's win is meant to discourage the litigious landscape around ADA digital lawsuits, but it should not discourage companies from making websites and apps accessible.  [Making up 26% of the population](https://blog.usablenet.com/how-digital-accessibility-increases-value-for-your-agency), people with disabilities are the largest minority in the US. Accessibility [allows all of your customers](https://blog.usablenet.com/5-reasons-why-web-accessibility-should-be-a-top-priority-for-your-agency) to work with you in the way they choose. Many articles have been written on this important decision. If you'd like to read more, here are a few perspectives from both disability rights and defense lawyers. - [Narrow Winn-Dixie Court Opinion Limits Certain Types of Web Accessibility Lawsuits in three U.S. States](https://www.lflegal.com/2021/04/winn-dixie-appeal/) via the Law Office of Lainey Feingold -  [“Winn’s of Change?” The Eleventh Circuit in Gil v. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. Holds That Websites Are Not Places of Public Accommodation Under the ADA](https://www.gibbonslawalert.com/2021/04/19/winns-of-change-the-eleventh-circuit-in-gil-v-winn-dixie-stores-inc-holds-that-websites-are-not-places-of-public-accommodation-under-the-ada/) via Gibbons P.C. - [Eleventh Circuit Says Winn Dixie’s Inaccessible Website Does Not Violate The ADA](https://www.adatitleiii.com/2021/04/eleventh-circuit-says-winn-dixies-inaccessible-website-does-not-violate-the-ada/) via Seyfarth Shaw LLP -  [The Eleventh Circuit Issues Important Opinion on the Inapplicability of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act to Consumer-Facing Websites](https://www.blankrome.com/publications/eleventh-circuit-issues-important-opinion-inapplicability-title-iii-americans) via Blank Rome Not sure if your site needs accessibility work? Run a free automated test with UsableNet AQA. [![Is your website WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 compliant? Test your website with AQA.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/ee40975a-0720-44e1-bdae-89cd273f6e2a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/ee40975a-0720-44e1-bdae-89cd273f6e2a) ![Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Reuploads%20-%20SEO/Jason%20Taylor.png) ### [Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/jason-taylor) Jason C. Taylor is the Chief Innovation Strategist and Advisor to the UsableNet CEO with over 20 years of experience in usability and accessibility. Jason is a global technology thought leader for multichannel customer engagement, actively advising leading companies on how to extend their brands across multiple channels for all users. He has been an active member of the accessibility and usability communities since 2001, which started with leading partnerships between UsableNet, Macromedia (now Adobe), and The Nielsen Norman Group. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/The%20Low-Cost%20Moves%20That%20Strengthen%20an%20ADA%20Website%20Defense.png) [The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/the-low-cost-moves-that-strengthen-an-ada-website-defense) Jun 16, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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