In a significant legal move, a visually-impaired individual has taken action against a major personal care brand for alleged website accessibility violations. Haron Cole filed a class-action complaint on February 3, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC. The lawsuit highlights the challenges faced by blind and visually-impaired individuals when attempting to access online services that are not designed with accessibility in mind.
Haron Cole, who is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to navigate websites, claims that Edgewell Personal Care Brands' website, Getjackblack.com, is not accessible to him or others with similar disabilities. According to Cole's complaint, the website lacks essential features such as alternative text for images and proper labeling of interactive elements that would allow screen readers to function effectively. This inaccessibility allegedly prevents blind users from completing transactions independently on the site. "Defendant’s denial of full and equal access to its website...is a violation of Plaintiff’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (the 'ADA')," states the complaint.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction requiring Edgewell Personal Care Brands to make their website fully accessible to blind and visually-impaired consumers. Cole also demands compensatory damages for what he describes as unlawful discrimination. The complaint outlines specific barriers encountered by Cole while attempting to purchase grooming products online, such as difficulties navigating pop-up windows and ambiguous link texts that hindered his shopping experience.
The case underscores broader issues of digital accessibility and compliance with established guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. Despite these standards being widely recognized and implemented by many businesses and government agencies, Cole argues that Edgewell Personal Care Brands has failed to adhere to them. The plaintiff contends that making necessary modifications would not impose an undue burden on the company but would instead ensure equal access for all users.
Representing Haron Cole is attorney David Reyes from Asher Cohen Law PLLC. The case is presided over by judges at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois under Case No.: 1:25-cv-1130.