Court Rules in Favor of JetBlue – Airline Websites and Kiosks Not Covered by State Law
Posted on August 3, 2011
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This is a post about the court’s ruling in the JetBlue access case. The case was filed by blind people in California and the California Council of the Blind. The Judge ruled in favor of JetBlue on August 3, 2011 and threw the case out of court. The Judge said that federal regulations about airlines prevent blind people from pursuing rights under state law. This case only applies to airline websites and airline kiosks.
In a blow to the rights of people with disabilities in California and across the country, a second United States federal judge has ruled that state anti-discrimination laws do not apply to airline websites and kiosks. In a closely watched case against JetBlue Airways, Judge Joseph Spero ruled on August 3, 2011 that regulations issued by the United States Department of Transportation — no matter how weak and ineffective — strip away the rights California residents with visual impairments to access and use JetBlue’s website and airport kiosks.
[Note: After this article was originally posted, the JetBlue court decision was appealed. Read the post about the appeal.]
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