Baltimore, Maryland (November 21, 2014): The National Federation of the Blind commented today on a settlement agreement reached between the Department of Justice and Ahold USA Inc. and Peapod LLC., the owners and operators of Peapod.com, a popular online grocery delivery service. The Department of Justice alleged that Peapod violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not making its website accessible to people with disabilities. Under the agreement, Peapod will ensure that all of its services are accessible to all people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.

Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “In order for the blind to truly live the lives we want, we must have the same access to all of the modern advances in the online sphere as the rest of the sighted public. The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that an agreement has been reached with Peapod and that its grocery delivery service will be accessible to blind people and others with disabilities. We applaud the Department of Justice for recognizing the critical importance of ensuring that people with disabilities can participate equally and fully in all aspects of modern society.”

For more information about the settlement agreement, read the press release from the Department of Justice.