Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case concerning the legal rights of disabled individuals to sue hotels that fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case centers around a dispute between a wheelchair user and a Miami Beach hotel, and whether online searches which indicate that a hotel does not provide appropriate accommodations are sufficient to establish legal standing for a discrimination claim.
The case began when Miami Beach resident Viktoria Emory visited a hotel’s website and discovered that the hotel did not appear to have any accessible rooms. In response, Emory filed a complaint with the Department of Justice, alleging discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department of Justice then referred the case to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where Emory argued that her online searches constituted evidence of discrimination.
The case quickly became a matter of national import, with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the National Council on Disability (NCD) joining in as co-plaintiffs. The NCD and NAD argued that Emory’s case could establish a precedent to give greater authority to disability rights activists when it comes to filing suit against hotels that fail to meet ADA standards.
At the Supreme Court hearing, justices asked questions related to the legal standing of an individual who had not yet been discriminated against or experienced any tangible harm. The lawyers arguing for the ADA plaintiffs argued that online searches and research constituted evidence of potential discrimination, and that a disabled individual did not need to be in physical proximity with a business to be able to sue.
The Supreme Court’s decision in this case is being closely watched by disability rights advocates across the country, as it could set a legal precedent allowing disabled individuals to take legal action against businesses for discrimination without having to be physically affected by the company’s actions. If the court sides with Emory, it could become easier for disabled individuals to sue not only hotels, but any business that fails to comply with ADA regulations – and end up bettering the lives of millions of Americans.