PepsiCo to Pay $270,000 in Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Company agrees to work with accessibility consultant to settle EEOC suit over firing of blind employee

Apr. 17, 2026 at 6:59am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A photorealistic studio still life featuring a pair of sleek, modern computer monitors on a clean, monochromatic background, symbolizing the accessibility issues at the center of this disability discrimination case.A high-end studio photograph captures the importance of accessible technology in the workplace for employees with disabilities.Winston-Salem Today

PepsiCo, a Delaware company operating a facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has agreed to pay $270,000 and work with an accessibility consultant to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit alleged that PepsiCo fired a blind employee after failing to provide a reasonable accommodation for him to access information on company computers needed to perform his job as a customer care advocate.

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of employers providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It also underscores the role of the EEOC in enforcing anti-discrimination laws and ensuring that companies uphold their legal obligations to workers with disabilities.

The details

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, PepsiCo hired a blind employee as a customer care advocate for its Winston-Salem call center in April 2022. The employee requested a reasonable accommodation to allow him to access the information on company computers needed to perform his job. When PepsiCo concluded it could not provide an accommodation, it fired him. The suit also alleged that PepsiCo rejected an offer by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Resources to assist in identifying accessibility solutions for the employee.

  • PepsiCo hired the blind employee as a customer care advocate in April 2022.
  • The EEOC filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in 2024.

The players

PepsiCo Beverage Sales, LLC d/b/a PepsiCo Beverage Company

A Delaware company operating a facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

The federal agency that filed the disability discrimination lawsuit against PepsiCo.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Resources

The state agency that offered to assist PepsiCo in identifying accessibility solutions for the blind employee, but was rejected.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The EEOC is pleased that PepsiCo is committed to working with a consultant to make its computer systems accessible to individuals with visual disabilities.”

— Melinda C. Dugas, Regional Attorney, EEOC Charlotte District Office

What’s next

Under the two-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, PepsiCo must work with an expert to ensure that certain software applications at the Winston-Salem facility will be accessible to individuals with visual disabilities, make periodic progress reports to the EEOC, maintain and distribute an anti-discrimination policy addressing reasonable accommodations, provide relevant training at its Winston-Salem facility, and post a notice of rights and obligations under the ADA.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of employers proactively providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, as required by the ADA. It also demonstrates the EEOC's role in enforcing anti-discrimination laws and ensuring that companies uphold their legal obligations to workers with disabilities.