A visually-impaired plaintiff has filed a class action lawsuit against a prominent online retailer for failing to make its website accessible. Howard Wilson, the plaintiff, filed the complaint on September 2, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Hobby Enterprises, LLC.
Howard Wilson, who is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to navigate websites, alleges that Hobby Enterprises' website, www.megahobby.com, is not accessible to visually impaired users. This inaccessibility denies him and others like him full and equal access to the goods and services offered by the website. The complaint cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates that public accommodations be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Wilson's experience with Hobby Enterprises' website was fraught with barriers that prevented him from completing a purchase. He attempted multiple times to buy household tools but was thwarted by missing alt-texts, hidden elements on web pages, incorrectly formatted lists, unannounced pop-ups, unclear labels for interactive elements, and broken links. These issues made it impossible for Wilson to navigate the site using his screen-reading software.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction requiring Hobby Enterprises to make its website compliant with WCAG 2.1 guidelines. Specifically, Wilson requests that the company retain a qualified consultant to assist in training employees on accessibility compliance, regularly check and test user accessibility by blind or vision-impaired persons, and develop an accessibility policy clearly disclosed on their website.
Representing Wilson is attorney Yaakov Saks from Stein Saks PLLC. The case is presided over by Judge [Name] under Case ID 1:24-cv-07960.