A visually-impaired plaintiff has taken legal action against a music retail company, alleging that its website is inaccessible to blind and visually-impaired individuals. On February 6, 2026, Geovanni Bahena Figueroa filed a class-action complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against The Music Emporium, Inc., accusing the company of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Geovanni Bahena Figueroa, who is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to navigate websites, claims that The Music Emporium’s website fails to accommodate visually-impaired users. According to the complaint, Figueroa attempted multiple times to access the site, most recently on October 6, 2025, in an effort to purchase a Northfield Big Mon Sunburst instrument but was met with various accessibility barriers. These included missing alt-text for images, unannounced pop-ups, and broken links that rendered the site unusable with screen-reader technology. “The law requires that the Defendant reasonably accommodate Plaintiff’s disabilities by removing these existing access barriers,” states the complaint.
Figueroa argues that The Music Emporium’s failure to make its website accessible denies him and others like him full and equal access to goods and services offered online. This denial constitutes discrimination under Title III of the ADA. The plaintiff seeks a permanent injunction mandating changes in corporate policies and practices to ensure compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards. Additionally, Figueroa requests that The Music Emporium appoint a qualified consultant to assist in achieving accessibility compliance.
The lawsuit highlights broader issues faced by millions of visually-impaired individuals in accessing digital content independently. Citing statistics from a 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report indicating that approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired, including two million who are blind, Figueroa emphasizes the necessity for websites to be designed inclusively.
Figueroa is seeking not only injunctive relief but also nominal damages and coverage of legal costs associated with bringing this case forward. He aims for class certification under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and (b)(2), representing all legally blind individuals in the United States who have been denied equal enjoyment of goods and services on The Music Emporium’s website.
Representing Geovanni Bahena Figueroa is attorney Yaakov Saks from Stein Saks PLLC based in Hackensack, New Jersey. The case has been assigned Case No.: 1:26-cv-1383 at the Northern District of Illinois court.
Source: 126cv01383_Geovanni_Bahena_v_The_Music_Emporium_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
