Lille (AFP) – A summary hearing targeting Auchan was held on Tuesday in Lille, at the initiative of two associations accompanied by a group of lawyers, to try to obtain accessibility to the distributor's online services for visually impaired people.
Published on: 03/03/2026 - 5:57 p.m.
The decision is expected on April 14.
Initiated by the associations of people with visual disabilities apiDV and Droit Pluriel, this civil procedure is among the first legal actions of this type initiated in Europe in the private sector, underlines lawyer Erwann Robbe, member of the legal collective Intérêt à Agir, which supports the two plaintiff associations.
In July, the same associations had given notice to four major retail brands - Auchan, Picard Surgelés, Carrefour and E. Leclerc - to comply with their legal obligations in terms of digital accessibility.
"Having noted the indifference of companies regarding respect for the law and the rights of people with disabilities", the associations have decided to summon these four brands for interim relief, "so that justice can put an end to a situation deemed discriminatory", they write in a press release.
Considered to be "particularly lacking in terms of accessibility", the four distributors were summoned before the competent courts of their head offices.
Several hearings in these cases have been postponed since the start of the year. The one concerning E. Leclerc must now take place on May 5 in Créteil.
"Digital technology is a source of autonomy. When you cannot do your shopping alone in the supermarket, an accessible website allows it. But when the site is not accessible, it is a loss of autonomy, we waste time, we need someone to help us, it is a burden", explains to AFP Pierre Marragou, president of the apiDV association.
Asked by AFP, Auchan could not immediately be reached.
Coming into force in June 2025, a European directive requires small, medium and large businesses to market products and services accessible to people with disabilities: websites, mobile applications, online shopping orders, etc. An accessible site must allow a blind person to navigate, in particular with keyboard keys and voice command.
“The objective is clear: to guarantee everyone access to the essential digital services of daily life, an essential condition for respecting the privacy and autonomy of people,” affirm the associations.
In France, 12 million people are affected by digital accessibility, including 2 million people with visual disabilities, they emphasize.
© 2026 AFP
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