Dustin Youngren v. Shinesty, Inc.

Summary

According to the complaint, Dustin Youngren, a visually impaired individual, is suing Shinesty, Inc. for failing to make its website, https://www.shinesty.com/, accessible to blind and visually impaired users. Youngren alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent him and others from independently navigating and completing purchases. The complaint cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seeks a permanent injunction to require the defendant to make necessary changes to the website to ensure accessibility. Youngren claims that he was unable to complete a purchase of men’s underwear due to these barriers, which include inadequate alt-text, navigation issues, and reliance on mouse-only interactions. He seeks compensatory damages for the discrimination faced and aims to represent a class of similarly affected individuals.

About the defendant

Provides a wide array of bold and quirky apparel including fun-print men’s and women’s underwear, swimwear, matching sets, themed holiday suits and dresses, loungewear, novelty outerwear, and accessories.

What the complaint says

The problems the plaintiff describes with the website.

• Website is inaccessible to visually impaired individuals
• Failure to provide necessary accommodations for screen-reader users
• Denial of equal access to goods and services offered on the Website

Legal claims

The laws the plaintiff says the defendant broke, called causes of action.

• Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Declaratory Relief

What the plaintiff asks for

What the plaintiff wants the court to order.

• Preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit violations of the ADA
• Injunction requiring compliance with ADA standards for accessibility
• Declaration of discrimination against visually impaired individuals
• Class action certification
• Award of costs and expenses

Proposed class

The group of people the plaintiff asks to represent, so the case can cover them too.

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.