Plaintiff
- Name: Dustin Youngren
- Filing Date: January 5, 2026
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: Equal Access Law Group, PLLC
Defendant
- Name: Heard Design, LLC
- Website: howlerbros.com
- Industry: Apparel
- Standards Cited: WCAG 2.2
- Summary: Provides a wide array of Western-styled apparel and accessories for various activities, including shirts, jackets, hoodies, shorts, pants, hats, bags, and other products for online purchase.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, Dustin Youngren, a visually impaired individual, is suing Heard Design, LLC for failing to make its website, https://howlerbros.com, accessible to blind users, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Youngren alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent him and others from independently navigating and completing transactions. He seeks a permanent injunction to require the defendant to make the website accessible and compensatory damages for the discrimination faced. The complaint highlights various accessibility issues, including the lack of alternative text for images and reliance on mouse navigation, which excludes visually impaired users from fully participating in online shopping.
Causes of Action
- Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Key Allegations
- Website is inaccessible to visually impaired individuals
- Access barriers prevent independent navigation and transactions
- Defendant failed to implement necessary accessibility features
Requested Relief
- Preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit violations of the ADA
- Injunction requiring compliance with ADA
- Declaration of discriminatory practices
- Class action certification
- Pre- and post-judgment interest
- Award of costs and expenses
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).
