A visually-impaired woman has taken legal action against a prominent travelware company, alleging that its website is inaccessible to blind and visually-impaired users. The complaint was filed by Judith Adela Fernandez Martinez in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on January 28, 2026, targeting Briggs & Riley Travelware, LLC. This case underscores the ongoing struggle for digital accessibility and highlights the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities in accessing online services.
Judith Adela Fernandez Martinez, who requires screen-reading software to navigate websites due to her visual impairment, claims that Briggs & Riley’s website is not designed to be accessible to individuals like her. According to the lawsuit, this inaccessibility violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates that public accommodations must ensure their websites are equally accessible to people with disabilities. “The goods, services, privileges, or activities provided by places of public accommodation must be equally accessible,” as per a letter from U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd cited in the complaint.
Fernandez Martinez’s complaint outlines several specific barriers she encountered on the Briggs & Riley website, including missing alternative text for images and broken links that hinder navigation using screen readers. These issues prevent visually-impaired users from enjoying the same online shopping experience as sighted individuals. As a result, Fernandez Martinez argues that she and others have been denied full and equal access to the company’s products and services.
The plaintiff seeks a permanent injunction requiring Briggs & Riley to make its website fully accessible by implementing changes such as hiring a web accessibility consultant and conducting regular audits. Additionally, she requests compensatory damages for herself and similarly affected individuals under New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law.
Representing Fernandez Martinez are attorneys Dana L. Gottlieb, Jeffrey M. Gottlieb, and Michael A. LaBollita from Gottlieb & Associates PLLC. The case is being heard by judges in the Southern District of New York under Case ID 1:26-cv-0706.
Source: 126cv00706_Judith_Adela_v_Briggs_Riley_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York .pdf
