Abercrombie has a Chief Diversity Officer?

by | Jan 8, 2014 | Access observations, Americans with Disabilities Act, Case news, Civil rights, Disability rights, Discrimination, Title III | 0 comments

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.

Porch-like structure in front of a mall store. The porch is surrounded by a railing, and only accessible by two steps in the middle of the front of the porch. At the back of the porch is a photo -- spanning the height and width of the rear wall -- of a male model with no shirt on. The roof of the porch like structure is sloped and tiled to look like a beach shack.

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 stores.