Settled – Concluded

Fowler v. California Department of Insurance

November 10, 2021

In October 2021, Disability Rights Advocates and TRE Legal Practice filed a disability rights lawsuit in California State Court against the California Department of Insurance (CDI) for its failure to ensure the accessibility of its licensing exam for insurance agents for blind applicants. The lawsuit also included claims against PSI Services, the private entity that … Continue reading “Fowler v. California Department of Insurance”

Ruffa v. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

July 21, 2021

On July 20, 2021, DRA filed a class action lawsuit against the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on behalf of Deaf human resource (HR) professionals who do not have equal access to SHRM’s services because SHRM fails to provide accommodations like sign language interpreters, captioning, and timely transcripts for SHRM’s continuing education programming. SHRM … Continue reading “Ruffa v. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)”

Terrill v. State of Oregon

April 21, 2021

On April 20, 2021, Disability Rights Advocates and Lynn S. Walsh filed a class action lawsuit against the State of Oregon and the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) on behalf of current and former people with disabilities who are incarcerated and who have been charged for the costs of the prostheses and other equipment they … Continue reading “Terrill v. State of Oregon”

HBO Max Structured Negotiations

October 19, 2020

In a landmark agreement, advocates for people who are blind obtained WarnerMedia’s pledge to increase the accessibility of HBO Max—the much-anticipated online streaming platform that was launched in May 2020. Among other commitments, the agreement provided that WarnerMedia would provide audio description on at least 1,500 hours of new and existing programming on HBO Max … Continue reading “HBO Max Structured Negotiations”

Chiappetta vs. New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

October 14, 2020

In October 2020, Disability Rights Advocates filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of blind New Yorkers and the American Council of the Blind, New York against New York state entities, challenging the inaccessibility of “NY-Alert,” a Mass Notification System intended to warn New Yorkers and visitors of emergencies and other critical information in a … Continue reading “Chiappetta vs. New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services”

Jackson v. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago

August 29, 2019

On August 29, 2019, Disability Rights Advocates and Legal Council for Health Justice filed a class action lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”) challenging CPS’s policy of denying free nutrition programs to students whose disabilities require them to attend therapeutic day schools (“TDS”). On June 3, 2021, Judge Young B. Kim preliminarily approved a settlement … Continue reading “Jackson v. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago”

American Council of the Blind, Michael Godino, et al. v. Keenwawa, Inc., d/b/a Eatsa

April 11, 2017

In September 2017, Disability Rights Advocates announced a settlement of its federal lawsuit on behalf of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and members of the blind community against eatsa, a growing, national fast-casual restaurant chain. eatsa utilizes a high-tech service model in which customers order meals via its smartphone app or at an … Continue reading “American Council of the Blind, Michael Godino, et al. v. Keenwawa, Inc., d/b/a Eatsa”

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services, et al. v. Northwest Hospital & Medical Center et al.

July 26, 2016

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center has agreed to implement policy changes to ensure that its patient-focused healthcare services are accessible to individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Hospitals are required to provide patients and companions with auxiliary aids and services—such as qualified sign language interpreters or assistive listening devices—that are necessary for effective … Continue reading “Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services, et al. v. Northwest Hospital & Medical Center et al.”

National Federation of the Blind of California, et al. v. Uber Technologies, Inc., et al.

July 15, 2016

Page Contents Introduction Case Background Settlement Addressing Ongoing Discrimination Introduction In 2016, DRA reached an unprecedented settlement with Uber to stop discrimination against blind people who use guide dogs on the Uber platform. DRA is currently monitoring Uber’s compliance with the settlement agreement. If you were denied service by an Uber driver because you travel … Continue reading “National Federation of the Blind of California, et al. v. Uber Technologies, Inc., et al.”