The chew toy that ate my small business

Two summers ago, a 61-year-old blind woman I’d never met sued me for allegedly injuring her. Her accusation: I had impeded her ability to buy a Snugarooz Floos N’ Fun Ball — a tug toy for dogs. According to the complaint, Lisa Cantwell of Queens, New York, visited my online store, but issues with a product page’s metadata interfered with her screen-reading software, ultimately keeping her from completing the purchase. This, the suit claimed, constituted “a concrete and particularized injury,” that led to “direct harm and frustration” and constituted a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cruelty, thy name is … Snugarooz Floos N’ Fun Ball. The toy in question was one I carried in my Manhattan dog-training center, School For the Dogs. Dog-training classes, private lessons, and p