Dawn Stevens Sues Trader Joe's, Landlord Over Santa Monica ADA Violations

Dawn Stevens filed a federal lawsuit that, according to the filing materials, alleges accessibility violations at the Trader Joe’s Santa Monica store. The complaint names Trader Joe's Company and Spear Pico Properties, LLC as defendants in Stevens v. Trader Joe's Company, Case No. 2:26-cv-00864 (C.D. Cal.). Complaint and supporting filings were filed on Jan. 28, 2026.

The procedural filing sits against a national pattern of disability-access litigation over retail technology and self-service devices. As one expert summary notes, "Point of Sale terminals have been the subject of multiple lawsuits and resulting settlements, including against; Walmart, Target, Trader Joes, Lucky Brands, Safeway, Rite Aid, Raley’s, RadioShack, Dollar General, CVS, Best Buy, and 7-Eleven." In prior matters, those cases often resolved through negotiations that required hardware changes: "In these cases, structured negotiations were effective and the offending parties agreed to install tactile POS devices at all locations." The same account adds that "Any new POS devices have tactile keypads for use by people who are blind."

Separate waves of litigation have focused on in-store kiosks. "In 2020, Carlson Lynch, ADA plaintiffs' firm, filed multiple lawsuits against stores that have health screening kiosks," the background notes state. Those kiosks have drawn criticism because "the kiosks, largely inaccessible to blind and low vision patrons, typically required the use of a touchscreen." The devices "lacked a keypad or tactilely discernible input device and may not have speech output for receiving information critical to the kiosk’s purpose and functionality." Privacy concerns have also arisen when kiosks lack headphone jacks: "The absence of headphones was considered problematic as the information being audibly communicated would be available to others around the kiosk and potentially violate patient privacy and HIPAA concerns."

Courts and regulators have weighed in on self-service accessibility. One documented filing observes that "The Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest (on September 20, 2021), to clarify that Title III of the ADA requires that public accommodations provide auxiliary aids and services so that individuals with disabilities can enjoy all of their services, including those services offered through a self-service kiosk." The same guidance notes that "auxiliary aids" would include software such as a screen reader.

For Trader Joe’s crew members and managers, a lawsuit like this can ripple into daily operations. Changes to POS hardware, new accessibility software, or revised checkout procedures can require training, slower transaction times while accommodations are provided, and clearer policies about when staff must assist customers. If the case follows earlier precedents, remedies could include equipment upgrades or companywide policy changes that affect front-end staffing and workflows.

Next steps in the litigation will be the public exchange of court papers and any defendants' responses, which will clarify the specific barriers alleged and the relief sought. For workers and customers, the key developments to watch are whether the complaint targets registers, kiosks, or other features, and whether any resolution produces standardized accessibility fixes across stores.