Aldi Hit With ADA Lawsuit

Aldi has been accused in a federal lawsuit filed this week in Pittsburgh that alleges at least seven of its stores are not up to par with standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh area resident Richard Dieter, who has a physical disability that causes him to rely on a wheelchair, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court and is seeking class-action status on behalf of himself and other disabled Aldi customers.

In the lawsuit, Dieter alleges that while visiting two Pittsburgh-area Aldi stores, his mobility was impaired due to sloped parking spaces and other ADA violations.

According to the newspaper, “Investigators inspected seven Aldi locations in Pennsylvania, New York and North Carolina on the plaintiff’s behalf. One location did not have a designated van-accessible area, while others had grocery aisles or parking spaces” with slopes that exceed 2.1%. The limit for slopes, per ADA’s requirements, is 1.48%.

Dieter’s case states that until Aldi complies with ADA standards, he and fellow disabled customers will not have full access to the company’s stores and is requesting that the retailer make needed repairs to its parking lots and stores to accommodate the needs of customers who rely on wheelchairs or other devices for mobility.

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Aldi did not respond to WGB’s request for a statement at press time.

The plaintiff is asking Aldi to pay for his attorney fees, costs of the suit and any restitution deemed necessary.