A visually-impaired individual has taken legal action against a prominent online retailer, alleging discrimination due to the inaccessibility of its website. Washington Moran filed a class-action complaint on November 19, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Barbour International, Inc. The lawsuit claims that the company’s website is not accessible to blind and visually-impaired individuals, thus violating their rights under several laws.
Washington Moran, who requires screen-reading software to access web content, argues that Barbour International’s website is not compatible with such technology. This incompatibility allegedly denies him and others like him full access to the products and services offered by the company. The complaint cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates that public accommodations must ensure their websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Moran’s lawsuit highlights a letter from U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd confirming this requirement.
The plaintiff points out that approximately 8.1 million people in the United States are visually impaired, including 2 million who are blind. In New York alone, around 400,000 visually-impaired individuals reside according to reports cited in the case. Moran accuses Barbour International of failing to design and maintain an accessible website, thus denying him equal access to their products and services. He describes his attempts to purchase items from their site as frustrating due to barriers like broken links and images without alternative text.
Moran seeks a permanent injunction requiring Barbour International to adopt policies ensuring its website is accessible to blind users. This includes hiring a web accessibility consultant and implementing changes based on established guidelines like WCAG 2.0. Additionally, he requests compensatory damages for himself and similarly affected individuals under New York State Human Rights Law and other relevant statutes.
Representing Moran are attorneys Dana L. Gottlieb, Jeffrey M. Gottlieb, and Michael A. LaBollita from Gottlieb & Associates PLLC based in New York City. The case has been assigned Case ID 1:25-cv-09635.
Source: 125cv09635_Washington_Moran_v_Barbour_Internationalr_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
