James Phillips and Daniel Carione filed this lawsuit in 2011 to challenge their termination from the New York City Police Department under a policy that discriminates against officers with hearing aids. Both individuals had exemplary service records – and both sustained hearing loss while performing their duties as police officers. Yet, the NYPD terminated their … Continue reading “Phillips, et al. v. City of New York, et al.”
In October 2017, Disability Rights Advocates and Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, on behalf of United Spinal Association, Inc. and four individuals with mobility, vision, and hearing disabilities, settled a federal class action lawsuit against Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Continuum Health Partners. The hospitals are … Continue reading “United Spinal Association et al. v. Beth Israel Medical Center et al.”
In 2012, DRA filed a lawsuit on behalf of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) and taxpayers Barbara Michel and Laura Magnani. The lawsuit alleged that Santa Rita Jail failed to provide for basic needs of people with disabilities by forcing people with mobility disabilities to live in inaccessible housing units that lacked basic … Continue reading “Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) et al. v. Ahern et al.”
As a result of a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Oregon undertook extensive steps to modify its high stakes testing system to ensure that the tests do not discriminate against students with learning disabilities. The settlement is based on the findings of an expert panel that was convened by the parties to examine … Continue reading “A.S.K. v. Oregon”
This case received major national attention as it challenged the practice of “flagging” test scores for students with disabilities who ask for accommodations. Flagging is the practice by which administrators of standardized tests place notations on the score reports of people with disabilities who take the exams with accommodations for their disabilities. Since its implementation … Continue reading “Breimhorst v. ETS”
DRA represented a class of all students in Alaska with learning disabilities who were required to take the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination (HSGQE). The parties reached a comprehensive settlement agreement on Monday, August 2, 2004. Among other critical new access features to the testing program, the settlement included a broad expansion of the … Continue reading “Noon v. Alaska”
DRA reached a class action settlement with the University of California, Berkeley that is resulting in comprehensive access improvements to this leading national University. The Plaintiffs are a class of all students with mobility and/or vision disabilities at U.C. Berkeley. Under the settlement, U.C. Berkeley has been removing thousands of access barriers throughout its facilities. … Continue reading “Gustafson v. U.C. Berkeley”
DRA reached a class action settlement with the Santa Barbara School District in improved access to the District’s High School. DRA represented several students with mobility disabilities who had been subjected to discriminatory and dangerous conditions at this high school. One of the students, Liana Mitchum was struck three times by cars on her way … Continue reading “Mitchum v. Santa Barbara School District”
The Spieler v. Mt. Diablo Consent Decree negotiated in 2000, represents the most sweeping school access settlement to date under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Consent Decree created equal access to school buildings, educational programs, and social programs. Mt. Diablo School District has committed $20 million over ten years to ensure equal access for … Continue reading “Spieler v. Mt. Diablo Unified School District”
The Hayward Unified School District has entered into a comprehensive agreement with nonprofit law firms Disability Rights Advocates and Disability Rights California (formerly Protection & Advocacy, Inc.) and several parents to expand its voter approved District-wide modernization and new building efforts into making all its schools accessible to students with disabilities. The agreement was negotiated … Continue reading “Hayward Unified School District Structured Negotiations”