A visually-impaired individual has filed a class-action lawsuit against a company, alleging its website is inaccessible to blind users. On February 5, 2025, Kalari Jackson Girtley filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Kitchen Mama, LLC.
Kalari Jackson Girtley, who is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to access digital content, claims that Kitchen Mama's website is not designed to be accessible to visually-impaired individuals. The lawsuit highlights that this inaccessibility violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates equal access to public accommodations. Girtley attempted multiple times to use the website www.shopkitchenmama.com but encountered numerous barriers such as missing alt-text and unannounced pop-ups that prevented her from completing purchases. The complaint emphasizes that these barriers deny visually-impaired consumers full and equal access to the goods and services offered by Kitchen Mama.
The plaintiff argues that despite advancements in technology enabling blind individuals to navigate websites using screen-reading software, Kitchen Mama has failed to make its website compatible with such technology. This failure not only discriminates against visually-impaired consumers but also violates ADA requirements. The complaint cites several common accessibility issues on websites, including lack of text equivalents for non-text elements and improperly labeled interactive components. Girtley seeks a permanent injunction requiring Kitchen Mama to adopt policies ensuring ongoing compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, making their site accessible.
In seeking relief from the court, Girtley requests both preliminary and permanent injunctions mandating changes to Kitchen Mama's website practices. Additionally, she seeks nominal damages, legal costs, and attorney fees while urging certification of a nationwide class of similarly affected individuals under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2). The case is being handled by attorney Yaakov Saks from Stein Saks PLLC.
The case ID is 1:25-cv-1257 and it will be presided over by judges in the Northern District of Illinois.