American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc., v. The City of New York
On June 27, 2018, DRA, on behalf of the American Council of the Blind of New York (“ACBNY”) and two individual plaintiffs, filed a landmark class action lawsuit against the New York City Department of Transportation. According to the suit, New York City violates federal law by failing to systematically implement audible and tactile pedestrian signals that would make its pedestrian routes equally usable, and safer, for people who are blind, deaf-blind, or low-vision. On July 23, 2019, the Court granted class certification for the case.
On October 20, 2020, in a decision that will remake the streetscape of New York City and improve safety and accessibility for all New Yorkers, a federal court ruled that New York City’s decades-long practice of failing to install accessible pedestrian signals (APS) violates the civil rights of people with disabilities.
New York City has over 13,200 signalized intersections with signals for sighted pedestrians that convey critical safety information: WALK or DON’T WALK. Yet only 443 of those 13,200 intersections—less than 4%—have APS that convey this information to blind people. Blind and low vision pedestrians are put in danger every time they must cross a street without APS, because they may cross against the light, in the path of cars.
Additionally, the lack of APS denies them their independence and dignity. Plaintiffs have been grabbed by well-meaning strangers attempting to help them across the street, and forced to cross only in crowds and wait several lights—sometimes as long as twenty minutes—to make sure they are crossing with others. Some have avoided walking altogether by taking buses and getting out a stop early or a stop late in order to avoid particularly unsafe intersections, or taking longer routes.
Over 210,000 residents of NYC have visual disabilities, and tens of thousands more visit or commute into the City annually. New York’s high population density, high vehicle density, complex and unpredictable street intersections, and high background noise levels make walking extremely dangerous for those who primarily perceive traffic safety by ear. Competing sources of noise in New York City are neverending: Construction projects, building ventilation systems, garbage collection, subway and commuter trains entering and leaving stations, and the noise of other people and vehicles on the street. Meanwhile, bicycles and hybrid cars are practically silent but no less dangerous to blind pedestrians.
Now that the Court has determined the City has violated the ADA by failing to provide blind pedestrians sufficient access to APS, DRA and its partners hope to work with the City, and the Court, if necessary, on a remedial plan that ensures the City meets its obligations to blind pedestrians by providing APS throughout the City.
Case Files
Press Releases
- January 4, 2022: Federal Court Orders New York City to Install Thousands of Accessible Crosswalk Signals Over the Next 10 Years
- October 20, 2020: Federal Court Rules NYC Discriminates Against Blind and Low Vision Pedestrians by Failing to Make Crosswalk Signals Accessible
- June 27, 2018: Class Action Lawsuit Alleges NYC Sidewalks Won’t Be Safe For Blind Pedestrians For 170 Years
Media Coverage
- March 21, 2022: Smart Cities Dive
Toyota’s Woven Planet, NYU Create Open-Source Dataset to Improve VPR Tech for Accessibility, Autonomy - March 18, 2022:
Spectrum News NY1 - March 18, 2022: Gothamist
DOT to Install 500 Accessible Pedestrian Signals at Intersections Next Year - March 16, 2022: amNY
‘Year of 5G’ Falls Flat as DOT Stalls Node Approvals - January 27, 2022: Legal Reader
Federal Court Orders NYC to Install Thousands of Accessible Crosswalk Signals - January 24, 2022: Forbes
Crosswalks in New York to Become Safer for People with Vision Disabilities - January 6, 2022: Route 50
Court Orders 9,000 Crosswalk Upgrades for Blind Pedestrians - January 5, 2022: Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Good Morning, Brooklyn – Better Crosswalk Signals for Disabled Pedestrians - December 29, 2021: Spectrum News NY1
Judge to City - December 28, 2021: CBS Mornings
Using Sounds and Vibrations, Thousands of New Crosswalk Signals in New York City Will Soon Make It Easier for Blind and Visually Impaired Pedestrians to Safely Cross the Street - December 28, 2021: Bloomberg Law
NYC Must Install 9,000 Crosswalk Aids to Help Blind Pedestrians - December 27, 2021: NBC4 New York
Judge Orders NYC to Install Signals to Aid Blind Pedestrians - December 27, 2021: Courthouse News Service
Judge Orders Far-Flung Plan to Make NYC Crosswalks Accessible - December 27, 2021: New York Times
Why New York City May Soon Be More Walkable for Blind People - December 27, 2021: AFP France
New York City Ordered to Install More than 9,000 Accessible Signals for Visually Impaired Pedestrians - December 27, 2021: Associated Press
Judge Orders NYC to Install Signals to Aid Blind Pedestrians - October 14, 2021: NY Daily News
Opinion – NYC Is Blind to Its Blind’s Needs - December 1, 2020: WCBS
New York City Ordered to Install More Accessible Pedestrian Signals at Intersections - December 1, 2020: New York Times
Why the Pandemic Has Made Streets More Dangerous for Blind People - October 20, 2020: Law360
Judge Says NYC Liable for Lack of Blind-Friendly Crosswalks - October 20, 2020: CBS News
Judge Rules NYC Crosswalks Fail to Protect Blind Pedestrians - October 20, 2020: New York Post
Judge Rules 96 Percent of NYC Crosswalks Don’t Protect the Blind - October 20, 2020: Inner City Press
Lack of Accessible Signals in NYC Is Sued in SDNY - October 20, 2020: ABC7 New York
Judge Rules New York City in Violation of Americans with Disabilities Act - October 20, 2020: WINS
NYC in Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Judge Rules - October 20, 2020: NY Daily News
NYC Intersections Violate ADA by Lacking Enough Audible Signals for the Blind, Judge Rules - October 20, 2020: The Hill
Court Rules Majority of NYC Traffic Signals Violate Americans with Disabilities Act - October 20, 2020: Associated Press
Judge Rules NYC Crosswalks Fail to Protect Blind Pedestrians - October 20, 2020: Spectrum News NY1
Federal Judge Rules Lack of Accessible Crossing Signals Violates Rights of Disabled New Yorkers - July 25, 2018: Route Fifty
New York City Lawsuit Seeks Signal Upgrades for Blind Pedestrians - June 27, 2018: New York Times
Blind Pedestrians Sue the City to Improve Crosswalk Safety