by Amy F. Robertson | Jan 26, 2014 | Accessibility
Starting on January 26, 1992, all public new construction and all alterations had to be accessible. Starting on January 26, 1993, all private new construction had to be accessible. So, um, everything’s accessible now, right?
by Amy F. Robertson | Jan 24, 2014 | Accessibility
Another cool ramp, this time at a church which — unless it also houses a business inside — is not obligated to be accessible. St. Mary’s Basilica in...
by Amy F. Robertson | Jan 17, 2014 | Civil rights
CREEC filed today an amicus brief in the case of Butler v. WinCo Foods, LLC, on behalf of The American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Disability Rights Texas, the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center and of course CREEC itself. The case below — challenging a grocery chain’s service animal policy under Title III of the ADA — had been dismissed for mootness after the defendant carved out a one-person exception to the policy for the plaintiff only. Because this has the potential to undermine enforcement of Title III, we filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff, arguing that post-complaint policy changes cannot moot Title III claims, much less post-complaint, one-person...
by Amy F. Robertson | Jan 8, 2014 | Accessibility, Systemic change litigation
Disability Rights Organizations Congratulate Abercrombie on LGBT Recognition Urge Company to Eliminate Segregated Entrances at Hollister Stores Earlier today, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced that it received a high score from the Human Rights Campaign for its LGBT-related employment policies. A&F’s “Chief Diversity Officer” stated that A&F was “delighted to earn another perfect score” on LGBT employment policies. The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center congratulate A&F on this recognition but are puzzled that a company with a Chief Diversity Officer would continue to fight for the right to maintain segregated entrances for its disabled and non-disabled customers. At approximately 230 of A&F’s Hollister brand stores nationwide, A&F constructed raised porch entrances that are inaccessible to customers in wheelchairs. At these stores, customers who use wheelchairs must enter through a side entrance, pictured above in the far right-hand side of the photo. CCDC and CREEC challenged this segregation in court under the Americans with Disabilities Act, resulting in an August 20, 2013, judgment requiring A&F to make its raised porch entrances accessible. Rather than make its entrances accessible, however, A&F has elected to appeal this decision, continuing to fight for the right to maintain segregated entrances. CCDC and CREEC call on A&F’s Chief Diversity Officer to expand his concept of diversity past its “proud support of the LGBT community,” to embrace fully-integrated access to its...
by Amy F. Robertson | Jan 2, 2014 | Civil rights, Systemic change litigation
Student lawyer extraordinaire Amelia Messegee gave a terrific interview about our new outdoor exercise class action on one of our local public radio stations. Amelia’s interview starts around the 10:10 mark (though University of Michigan fans will not want to miss the classic public radio segment on the missing wolverine at around the 6:60 mark). Amelia does a terrific job of explaining the case, including a good plain-language explanation of what it means for a case to be a class action. She also reassures listeners that we are only seeking the opportunity for inmates to exercise outdoors, not for mints on their pillows or a spa day. Nicely done,...
