Constance Henry, a visually-impaired individual, has filed a class action lawsuit against Coolstuffinc.Com, LLC, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) due to the inaccessibility of their website for blind users. The complaint was lodged on January 31, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The lawsuit accuses Coolstuffinc.Com of failing to provide an accessible online shopping experience for visually impaired individuals.
According to the complaint, Constance Henry requires screen-reading software to access web content and alleges that Coolstuffinc.Com's website is not designed to accommodate such technology. The plaintiff claims that this oversight denies her and others like her equal access to the goods and services offered by Coolstuffinc.Com. "Defendant’s denial of full and equal access to its website...is a violation of Plaintiff’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act," states the complaint. Henry highlights several barriers she encountered while attempting to navigate the site, including ambiguous link texts and inaccessible contact information.
The plaintiff seeks a permanent injunction requiring Coolstuffinc.Com to make its website fully accessible to blind consumers by implementing changes in policies and practices. Additionally, she requests compensatory damages for unlawful discrimination experienced by herself and other class members. The lawsuit emphasizes that accessible technology is readily available and used by other major retail websites but has been neglected by Coolstuffinc.Com.
Henry's legal representation argues that Coolstuffinc.Com's failure to provide an accessible platform constitutes intentional discrimination against visually impaired individuals. The lawsuit seeks class certification for all legally blind individuals who have attempted to use Coolstuffinc.com but were denied access due to these barriers. If successful, this case could set a precedent for web accessibility standards across similar platforms.
Representing Constance Henry is attorney David Reyes from Asher Cohen Law PLLC. The case is being heard under Case No.: 1:25-cv-1065 in front of judges from the Northern District of Illinois.