Plaintiff
- Name: JAMES EV ANS
- Filing Date: November 2, 2025
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: EQUAL ACCESS LAW GROUP, PLLC
Defendant
- Name: Clean Cause, Inc.
- Website: www.cleancause.com
- Industry: Retailing
- Summary: Clean Cause provides a variety of organic beverages, including sparkling and non-carbonated yerba mate drinks, low-sugar organic beverages, functional blends with added benefits, and branded merchandise.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, plaintiff JAMES EV ANS, a legally blind individual, is suing Clean Cause, Inc. for failing to make their website, Cleancause.com, accessible to blind users. The complaint alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent blind individuals from independently navigating and completing transactions. Specific issues include ambiguous link texts, lack of alt-text for images, and reliance on mouse navigation, which is not usable for blind individuals. Plaintiffs allege that these barriers violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seek a permanent injunction to require Clean Cause to make its website accessible, along with compensatory damages for the discrimination experienced. The case is filed in the Northern District of Illinois.
Causes of Action
- Violation of 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 et seq. – Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Declaratory Relief
- Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress
Key Allegations
- Defendant's website is inaccessible to blind individuals
- Plaintiff encountered significant accessibility issues on the website
- Defendant failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
Requested Relief
- A preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit Defendant from violating the Americans with Disabilities Act
- A declaration that Defendant discriminates against the blind
- Compensatory damages
- Punitive damages
Proposed Class
all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access Сleancause.com and as a result have been denied access to the enjoyment of goods and services offered by Сleancause.com, 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).
