A visually-impaired man has taken legal action against a New York-based clothing company for allegedly failing to make its website accessible to blind and visually-impaired users. Paul Abramson filed the class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on September 4, 2024, accusing Left Field NYC, Inc. of violating federal and state laws by not providing equal access to its online services.
Abramson, who is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to navigate websites, claims that Left Field NYC's website, leftfieldnyc.com, is riddled with accessibility barriers. These barriers include inaccurate landmark structures, ambiguous link texts, inaccessible contact information, and the lack of alternative text for images.
"Plaintiff was disoriented when the automatic pop-up window appeared on the web page," reads one of Abramson's allegations. He argues that these issues prevent him and other visually-impaired individuals from enjoying the same online shopping experience as sighted customers.
The lawsuit highlights that approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired, including around 400,000 in New York State alone. Abramson contends that Left Field NYC's failure to make its website accessible denies these individuals equal access to services provided through leftfieldnyc.com. The complaint cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), New York State Human Rights Law, and New York City Human Rights Law.
Abramson attempted to purchase jeans from leftfieldnyc.com but was unable to complete his transaction due to the website's numerous accessibility issues. He seeks a permanent injunction requiring Left Field NYC to update its website to comply with ADA standards and ensure it remains accessible to blind and visually-impaired users. Additionally, he is seeking compensatory damages for unlawful discrimination.
Gabriel A. Levy of Gabriel A. Levy P.C., located in Manhasset, NY, represents Abramson in this class-action lawsuit. Case ID 1:24-cv-06162.