Plaintiff
- Name: Tanisia Bowman
- Filing Date: April 30, 2026
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: Equal Access Law Group, PLLC
Defendant
- Name: Aetrex, Inc.
- Website: www.aetrex.com
- Industry: Consumer Goods
- Standards Cited: WCAG 2.2
- Summary: Provides consumers access to an array of goods and services, including the ability to purchase a range of footwear and foot support products.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, TANISIA BOWMAN, a visually impaired individual, is suing Aetrex, Inc. for failing to make its website, aetrex.com, accessible to blind users. The complaint alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent visually impaired individuals from independently navigating and completing purchases. BOWMAN claims that these barriers violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seeks a permanent injunction to require Aetrex to make its website accessible, along with compensatory damages for affected individuals. The complaint highlights specific accessibility issues, including inadequate focus order and ambiguous link texts, which hinder the ability of visually impaired users to interact with the website effectively.
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 purchasing
- Defendant failed to implement necessary accessibility features
Requested Relief
- Preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit Defendant from violating the ADA
- Injunction requiring Defendant to make the Website compliant with the ADA
- Declaration that Defendant discriminates against the visually impaired
- Order certifying this case as a class action
- Pre- and post-judgment interest
- Award of costs and expenses of this 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).
