The Justice Department recently announced a settlement agreement with Rite Aid Corporation regarding the accessibility of its Covid-19 vaccination website for disabled individuals, according to a DOJ press release.
Rite Aid's COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Portal is currently inaccessible to some individuals with disabilities, particularly for those who use screen reader software or have difficulty using a mouse.
“Under today’s settlement, Rite Aid has agreed to make content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for scheduling an appointment to get the vaccine, conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities." the press release states, "Rite Aid also must regularly test the pages of its website about vaccine scheduling and information and quickly fix any problems that keep people with disabilities from being able to use these pages.”
Rite Aid has 30 days under the conditions of the settlement to implement the necessary adjustments to their Covid-19 website so that customers with disabilities may easily book online appointments for the Covid-19 vaccination.
Additionally, Rite Aid must conduct regular testing of its internet pages devoted to vaccination scheduling and information and promptly address any issues that prevent individuals with disabilities from using these sites.
According to the DOJ's press release, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures equal access to all forms of healthcare.
