Blind woman files suit over Empire Resorts website access
Matthew Nanci Times Herald-Record @mattnanci
Monday
Oct 8, 2018 at 8:27 PM
Oct 8, 2018 at 8:27 PM
Two local businesses got swept up in a wave of lawsuits throughout the state filed by a blind woman who alleges their websites violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Since June 1, Himelda Mendez has filed 41 lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, including one against Empire Resorts, Inc., which owns Resorts World Catskills and Monticello Casino & Raceway in Sullivan County.
The case against Empire Resorts specifically singles out the racino’s website as not being accessible for the visually impaired.
The second lawsuit with a local connection is against Promenade Senior Living LLC, which has five locations in Orange County.
The lawsuits state Mendez requires screen-reading software to access the internet, and that it is not compatible with the websites she tried to visit.
Joseph Mizrahi, a Brooklyn attorney representing Mendez, did not respond to numerous phone calls and emails seeking comment.
“Defendant’s denial of full and equal access to its website, and therefore denial of its goods and services offered thereby and in conjunction with its physical locations, [...]