A lawsuit has been filed alleging that a major online apparel retailer’s website contains barriers that prevent blind and visually impaired consumers from independently accessing its products and services. The complaint argues that these digital obstacles amount to unlawful discrimination under federal, state, and city civil rights statutes designed to protect individuals with disabilities.
The class action complaint was brought by Angel Jenkins on March 25, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Sportif USA, Inc., a family-owned men’s apparel company operating the e-commerce site www.sportif.com.
According to the filing, Angel Jenkins is a legally blind resident of New York who relies exclusively on screen-reading software such as NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) to navigate websites and complete online transactions. Jenkins attempted multiple times in early 2026 to browse and purchase specific products from Sportif USA’s website but was unable to do so due to numerous accessibility barriers. These included missing alternative text for images, unlabeled form controls, improper use of ARIA attributes, insufficient color contrast between text and background, links without descriptive names, and other technical issues identified by automated audits.
The complaint details four separate attempts by Jenkins—in February and March 2026—to purchase items including shirts and shorts as gifts for friends and family. Each attempt was thwarted by persistent accessibility problems such as “26 linked product images with missing alternative text,” “five missing form labels on size and color selectors,” “an empty button providing no indication of its function,” and “visual label ‘shopping cart’ not reflected in the accessible name.” On one occasion, navigation was further hindered by skipped heading levels that caused disorientation when using screen reader shortcuts. Jenkins ultimately abandoned each shopping session without being able to complete a purchase.
Accessibility audits referenced in the complaint found widespread non-compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards across more than 120 pages of the site. Violations ranged from Level A through AAA issues affecting core functions like product browsing, checkout processes, navigation menus, data tables for sizing information, links on homepages lacking accessible names or titles for frames/iframes, broken links returning errors instead of content descriptions, duplicate IDs in code structure, low color contrast making supplemental information unreadable for those with limited vision—and more.
Jenkins asserts that these deficiencies are not isolated incidents but reflect systemic failures by Sportif USA to design or maintain its website according to widely recognized accessibility protocols. The complaint states: “Despite longstanding federal guidance and the widespread availability of automated testing tools, Defendant has failed to remediate the barriers identified in this action.”
The legal arguments center on alleged violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires places of public accommodation—including commercial websites offering goods or services—to provide full and equal access to individuals with disabilities. The suit also cites parallel protections under the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), New York State Civil Rights Law (NYCRL), and New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). The plaintiff contends that Sportif USA’s failure amounts to both direct discrimination—by denying access—and indirect discrimination—by refusing reasonable modifications necessary for accessibility.
The proposed class includes all legally blind individuals nationwide who have been denied full enjoyment of Sportif USA’s online offerings due to these barriers during the applicable statute of limitations period. A subclass is defined for affected residents within New York State.
Jenkins seeks several forms of relief: certification as a class action; a permanent injunction requiring Sportif USA to bring its website into compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards; compensatory damages including statutory minimums under state law; punitive damages where permitted; attorneys’ fees; costs; pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; declaratory judgment affirming violations occurred; appointment of an independent accessibility consultant; periodic audits; as well as any other remedies deemed just by the court.
The case is represented by attorney Robert Schonfeld of Joseph & Norinsberg LLC based in New York City. The case identification number is Case 1:26-cv-02427.
Source: 126cv2427_Angel_Jenkins_v_Sportif_Usa_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
