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(Photo Credit: Roman Gorielov/Shutterstock)

Chic Soul class action lawsuit overview: 

  • Who: A legally blind woman is suing the retailer Chic Soul.
  • Why: The plaintiff says the company’s website is not accessible to those using a screen reader, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
  • Where: The class action was filed in a New York federal court.

Retailer Chic Soul does not make its website accessible for blind and visually impaired people using a screen reader, in violation of the law, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Veronica Maddy filed the class action complaint against Chic Soul, LLC Aug. 24 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Maddy is a visually-impaired and legally blind person who requires screen-reading software to read website content using her computer, the lawsuit states.

Based on a 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report, she is one of approximately 8.1 million people in the United States who are visually impaired, including 2.0 million who are blind.

Maddy says she is suing Chic Soul for its failure to design and maintain its website to be fully accessible to and independently usable by herself and other blind or visually-impaired persons. 

She says Chicsoul.com provides a wide array of the goods, services and price specials. 

“Yet, Chicsoul.com contains significant access barriers that make it difficult if not impossible for blind and visually-impaired customers to use the website,” Maddy alleges. 

“In fact, the access barriers make it impossible for blind and visually-impaired users to even complete a transaction on the website.” 

She says this means that Chic Soul excludes the blind and visually-impaired from the “full and equal participation” in the growing Internet economy that is increasingly a fundamental part of daily living. 

Chic Soul website has multiple access barriers, lawsuit alleges

Maddy says she browsed and intended to make an online purchase of a dress on Chicsoul.com. 

However, she was unable to, due to multiple access barriers on the website. These included inaccurate heading hierarchy, ambiguous link texts, changing of content without advance warning, unclear labels for interactive elements, inaccurate alt text on graphics, inaccessible drop-down menus and the requirement that transactions be performed solely with a mouse.

She’s looking to represent all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access Chicsoul.com. 

Maddy is seeking certification of the class action, an injunction forcing the company to update its website and make it accessible, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

In July, popular outdoor equipment retailer REI was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it does not make its website accessible for legally blind people using a screen reader.

Meanwhile, a number of complaints claiming ADA violations have been filed recently against companies such as Whole Foods, HelloFresh, Dell and Mrs. Fields, among others. Click here to read more.

What do you think of the allegations against Chic Soul? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Mars Khaimov of Mars Khaimov Law, PLLC.

The Chic Soul ADA class action lawsuit is Veronica Maddy v. Chic Soul, LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-07217 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.


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2 thoughts onChic Soul class action claims website inaccessible to blind, visually impaired users

  1. JJ says:

    Add me too please

  2. Heather says:

    Add me

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