A visually-impaired individual has taken legal action against a footwear company, claiming that the company’s website is inaccessible to blind and visually-impaired users. Caitlin Walsh filed the complaint on November 23, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Archies Footwear, LLC. The lawsuit highlights significant issues regarding web accessibility and seeks to address these barriers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Caitlin Walsh, who is legally blind and requires screen-reading software to navigate websites, alleges that Archies Footwear’s website is not designed to be accessible for individuals with visual impairments. According to Walsh, this inaccessibility violates her rights under the ADA by denying her full and equal access to the goods and services offered on the site. The complaint notes that approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired, including 2 million who are blind, emphasizing the widespread impact of such accessibility issues.
Walsh attempted multiple times to purchase flip-flops from Archies Footwear’s website but was unable due to various access barriers. These included missing alt-text for images, broken links, unannounced pop-ups, and other elements incompatible with screen-reading technology like JAWS or NVDA. As a result of these barriers, Walsh was denied an online shopping experience equivalent to that of sighted individuals. The plaintiff argues that Archies Footwear’s failure to comply with established Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) constitutes intentional discrimination against visually-impaired consumers.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction requiring Archies Footwear to modify its website policies and practices to ensure compliance with WCAG standards. This includes training employees on accessibility compliance, regularly testing user accessibility by blind individuals, and developing an accessibility policy clearly disclosed on their website. Additionally, Walsh seeks nominal damages, costs associated with bringing the lawsuit, and attorneys’ fees.
Representing Caitlin Walsh is attorney Yaakov Saks from Stein Saks PLLC. The case has been assigned Case No.: 3:25-cv-50487 in front of judges from the Northern District of Illinois.
Source: 325cv50487_Caitlin_Walsh_v_Archies_Footwear_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
