EAST ST. LOUIS - A legally blind man has filed another federal lawsuit against a company, alleging its digital platforms aren't accessible to those with vision problems.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Eric Foreman claims that defendant Empire Safety has web and cell phone applications that "are not properly formatted to allow legally blind users such as plaintiff to access its digital content," which allegedly violates the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Foreman has filed numerous similar lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Foreman alleges legally blind customers "are deprived from accessing information about defendant’s products and using its online services, all of which are readily available to sighted customers."
The defendant, based in California, is a "leader in the sale and distribution of safety equipment," the suit states.
Foreman, who lost his sight at four years old to glaucoma, seeks a ruling that would require the company to work with a consultant to improve access to customers who are sight impaired. The suit also seeks "nominal damages," plus attorney fees and other legal costs.
Foreman is represented by Benjamin Sweet of Nye Stirling Hale & Miller LLP in Pittsburgh.
Foreman v. Empire Safety, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:22-cv-01265