In a compelling legal battle over digital accessibility, a visually-impaired individual has taken action against a company for allegedly failing to make its website accessible to those with visual impairments. On February 27, 2025, Michael Sandoval filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, against Legendary Organics - Thousand Oaks, LLC. The lawsuit highlights significant concerns regarding the company's compliance with both federal and state disability rights laws.
Michael Sandoval's lawsuit accuses Legendary Organics of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act by not ensuring that its website is accessible to blind and visually-impaired individuals. According to the complaint, Sandoval requires screen-reading software (SRS) to access online content due to his visual impairment. He alleges that the company's website contains numerous barriers that prevent him from accessing information and services equivalent to those available to sighted users. "Defendant’s Website denies Plaintiff and other legally blind persons full and equal access," the complaint states, emphasizing the failure of Legendary Organics to provide an inclusive digital environment.
The lawsuit claims that Sandoval encountered multiple accessibility issues on Legendary Organics' website during his visits in January 2025. These issues included unlabeled graphics and buttons, insufficient navigational headings, inaccessible product descriptions, and an order system incompatible with SRS technology. As a result of these barriers, Sandoval was unable to complete transactions or obtain services from the company's brick-and-mortar locations in Thousand Oaks, California. The plaintiff argues that these obstacles constitute discrimination under both the ADA and UCRA because they deny him full participation in public accommodations offered by Legendary Organics.
Sandoval seeks several forms of relief from the court. Primarily, he requests a permanent injunction requiring Legendary Organics to modify its corporate policies and practices so that its website becomes fully accessible to visually-impaired consumers using SRS technology. Additionally, he seeks statutory damages under California law for each violation encountered on the website. Notably, Sandoval limits his claim for injunctive relief costs to $50,000 or less while capping potential monetary damages at $24,999 per offense.
Representing Michael Sandoval is Joseph R. Manning Jr., Esq., from Manning Law APC—a firm known for advocating civil rights cases involving disability access issues across various platforms including websites operated by commercial entities like Legendary Organics LLC which operates within Ventura County jurisdiction where this case was filed as Case No.: 2025CUCRO39425.