Movie rental giant Redbox is under fire from disability advocates who say the popular kiosks are not fully accessible.
A federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that the DVD rental kiosks are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because they are not accessible to those with visual impairments. The kiosks rely exclusively on sight-based, touch-screen controls, the suit indicates.
The lawsuit is being brought by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and five California residents with disabilities. The group is seeking class action status for the suit, which is believed to be the first of its kind.
“I love watching movies with my husband and son and would like to independently rent movies for my family at Redboxes,” said Lisamaria Martinez, who is legally blind and is one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
According to the lawsuit, Redbox accounts for roughly 34 percent of the DVD rental market across the country.
Other touch-screen devices do allow for full access by those with visual impairments. ATMs and iPhones, for example, use touch and voice-based technology to offer full accessibility, those behind the Redbox lawsuit say.
Officials at Redbox did not respond to a request for comment.
