Blind Man Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against New York Steakhouse

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A civil rights lawsuit has been filed by a blind individual against F & J Steaks 37^th Street, LLC and F & J Steaks Rye, LLC, which operate three restaurants in New York known as Frankie and Johnnie’s Steakhouse. The suit claims the defendants deny blind people equal access to their online goods and services, including special deals and promotions, online reservations, employment opportunities, and products such as steak and bacon. The plaintiff says he attempted on numerous occasions to access the steakhouse’s online services, but was unable to complete any transactions using his screen reading software.

According to the complaint, companies have designed accessible websites for the visually impaired by implementing alternative text, allowing functions to be completed using a keyboard instead of a mouse, and adding headings that allow the blind to easily navigate through the site’s pages using their screen readers. The suit argues that the defendants engaged in “acts of intentional discrimination” by their “failure and refusal to remove access barriers” from their website. It cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and various New York human rights and civil rights laws.