Peapod to Make Website, Mobile Apps Accessible to Disabled

Peapod, an affiliate of Quincy, Mass.-based Ahold USA, will make its website and mobile applications accessible to, and usable by, shoppers with hearing, visual and other disabilities. The effort falls under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), related to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

According to Andrew Parkinson, president of the Skokie, Ill.-based e-grocer, the agreement "reflects Peapod's long-standing commitment to make our online grocery services accessible to individuals with disabilities. We hope other online service providers will follow suit to ensure that the needs of this important group of shoppers are met."

As early as 1993, Peapod provided a screen reader-accessible version for visually impaired customers, and has always offered telephone assistance to disabled shoppers who have difficulty using its site.

The online grocery retailer, which has adopted the "best-in-class" Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.0 Level AA as its accessibility standard, will pay no penalties or damages under the agreement.

The leading e-grocer in the United States, Peapod serves 24 markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.