On May 22, 2020, DRA and a coalition of disability organizations filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections for excluding New Yorkers with disabilities from their Absentee Ballot program, which has expanded in response to COVID-19. The lawsuit charges the state agency with discrimination against voters who are unable to independently … Continue reading “Hernandez v. New York State Board of Elections”
Dayniah Manderson, a tenured English teacher with over 15 years of teaching experience in New York City public schools, uses an electric wheelchair and has been unable to use a restroom at her middle school building in the Bronx for the past 13 years due to the New York City Department of Education (DOE)’s failure … Continue reading “Manderson v. New York City Department of Education”
In July 2024, a federal judge ordered West Los Angeles College (WLAC), part of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), to restore a transportation assistance system to provide access for two disabled student plaintiffs, Charles Guerra and Karlton Bontrager, to WLAC’s steep, hilly campus by the start of the Fall 2024 semester. This case … Continue reading “Guerra v. West Los Angeles College”
In October 2018, Disability Rights Advocates filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Mobility Works—the country’s largest provider of wheelchair accessible vehicles for sale or rent, and a major installer of adaptive devices—employed two policies that discriminated against drivers with disabilities. Mobility Works denied these allegations, and does not admit liability. But, after extensive negotiations, … Continue reading “Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) v. MobilityWorks”
On November 26, 2019, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) filed a class action lawsuit against Queens Borough Public Library, The Board of Trustees of the Queens Borough Public Library, and the City of New York, challenging the inaccessibility of Queens’ newest library branch, Hunters Point Library. Plaintiffs Tanya Jackson and Center for Independence of the Disabled … Continue reading “Jackson v. Queens Borough Public Library”
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”
Image: Fox Oakland Theater via Flickr Oakland renters who need to live in accessible units are either shut out of the City’s rent control protections entirely, or forced to live in inaccessible units. If you are in either situation, we want to hear from you: contact us at 510-529-3491 or oakland.rent@dralegal.org On August 28, 2019, … Continue reading “Smith v. City of Oakland”
In August 2019, DRA filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging that the City of Philadelphia discriminates against residents and visitors with disabilities that affect their mobility by failing to make its sidewalks and pedestrian routes accessible. When the lawsuit was filed, some corners … Continue reading “Liberty Resources, Inc v. the City of Philadelphia”
Click here for community resources (English and Spanish) including information explaining the consequences of the court’s order, who it applies to, and aspects of the decision that may be useful in your advocacy. According to the April 20, 2020 emergency order, ICE must conduct custody redeterminations for all subclass members. Click here for information on … Continue reading “Fraihat v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement”
The New York City subway system, the lifeblood of the city, is the most convenient way for nearly all New Yorkers to get around town. However, the MTA wholly excludes hundreds of thousands of NYC residents and visitors who have a mobility disability that limits their use of stairs from the 75% of stations that … Continue reading “The History of DRA’s Lawsuits Against the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority”