A lawsuit claims that a popular online specialty food retailer is failing to provide equal access to its website for blind and visually impaired individuals, allegedly violating federal disability law. The complaint was filed by Livingston Bennett on March 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Igourmet, LLC.
According to the court filing, Bennett is legally blind and relies on screen-reading software to access digital content. He asserts that Igourmet’s website (https://igourmet.com) contains significant barriers that prevent him and others who are visually impaired from independently browsing products or completing purchases online. The suit states that this exclusion denies them “full and equal participation in the growing Internet economy.”
The complaint highlights that about 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired according to census data, including approximately 260,000 in Illinois alone. Bennett argues that despite available technology and established web accessibility guidelines—such as those published by the World Wide Web Consortium (WCAG 2.2)—Igourmet’s website does not offer necessary accommodations like alternative text for images, accessible forms, descriptive links, resizable text, or keyboard navigation support.
Bennett describes his experience attempting to purchase a butter assortment from Igourmet’s website on November 10, 2025. He reports encountering repeated issues: images with similar or poorly descriptive alternative text; improper use of headings and landmarks; inadequate focus order for keyboard navigation; ambiguous link texts; unannounced pop-up windows; lack of feedback when adding items to the cart; and a requirement to use a mouse rather than a keyboard to complete transactions. As stated in the filing: “Plaintiff was disoriented when the automatic pop-up window appeared on the web page… had significant difficulty knowing when automatic visual context change had occurred.”
The lawsuit claims these barriers effectively prevent blind and visually impaired customers from making purchases without assistance from sighted individuals. Bennett contends that such design choices violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation—including websites—against individuals with disabilities.
The complaint further alleges that Igourmet has acted intentionally by maintaining an inaccessible website despite knowledge of these issues and available solutions used by other retailers. It states: “Defendant engaged in acts of intentional discrimination… constructed and maintained a website that is inaccessible to visually impaired Class Members with knowledge of the discrimination.”
Bennett seeks class action status for all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access Igourmet’s website during the relevant statutory period but were denied full enjoyment of its goods or services due to accessibility barriers. The suit requests both preliminary and permanent injunctions requiring Igourmet to bring its website into compliance with ADA standards so it is fully usable by visually impaired consumers.
In addition to injunctive relief, Bennett asks for compensatory damages for himself and class members who have experienced what he describes as unlawful discrimination resulting in emotional distress—including frustration, embarrassment, anxiety—and interference with daily activities.
The complaint also calls for declaratory judgment clarifying whether Igourmet’s current practices violate federal law so both parties understand their rights moving forward.
Bennett is represented by David B. Reyes of Equal Access Law Group PLLC based in Flushing, New York. The case number is 1:26-cv-2589.
Source: 126cv02589_Livingston_Bennett_v_Igourmet_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
