The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review Acheson Hotels v. Laufer to clarify the requirements of Article III standing for claims brought under the Americans with Disability Act. At oral argument on Oct. 4, however, the issue of mootness took center stage and may deprive litigants of an answer on the ADA-standing question.

Deborah Laufer is not a novice litigant. She is a “tester.” Laufer, a woman with physical disabilities and impaired vision, spent years scouring the internet searching for websites failing to meet ADA requirements. She has sued over 500 hotels for allegedly failing to abide by the ADA’s “reservation rule.” This rule requires hotel websites to provide sufficient accessibility information so that disabled people can reasonably assess whether a hotel can accommodate their needs. The ADA permits a private cause of action limited to injunctive relief for reservation-rule violations.