Plaintiff
- Name: Dustin Youngren
- Filing Date: December 17, 2025
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: Equal Access Law Group, PLLC
Defendant
- Name: Hank's Clothing for Men and Women, Inc.
- Website: www.hanksbelts.com
- Industry: Retailing
- Standards Cited: WCAG 2.2
- Summary: Provides a wide array of leather belts and accessories for men and women, including jean belts, dress belts, work belts, and suede styles, available for online purchase.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, Dustin Youngren, a visually impaired individual, is suing Hank's Clothing for Men and Women, Inc. for failing to make their website, https://www.hanksbelts.com/, accessible to blind users. Youngren alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent him and others from completing transactions independently, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint details various accessibility issues, including the lack of keyboard navigation and descriptive labels for interactive elements. Youngren seeks a permanent injunction to require the defendant to make the website accessible and compensatory damages for the class of visually impaired individuals affected by these barriers.
Causes of Action
- Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Declaratory Relief
Key Allegations
- Website is inaccessible to visually impaired individuals
- Failure to provide necessary accommodations for screen-reader users
- Denial of equal access to goods and services offered on the Website
Requested Relief
- Permanent injunction requiring Defendant to make the Website accessible
- Compensatory damages for Class Members
- Certification of the case as a class action
Proposed Class
All legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access the Website and as a result have been denied access to the enjoyment of goods and services offered by the Website, during the relevant statutory period.
Jurisdiction & Venue
This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 42 U.S.C. § 12182; venue is proper under 28 U.S.C. §1391(b)(1) and (2).