Mobility
September 21, 2012
In January of 2011, the Ninth Circuit Court granted Stephanie Enyart, a blind law school graduate, the right to use assistive technology to take the Multistate Bar Exam and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. The court issued a landmark ruling that established that testing entities are required to provide accommodations that best ensure exams measure … Continue reading » “Enyart v. National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)”
September 14, 2012
Nationwide, college students with print disabilities – individuals who cannot read standard print because of vision, physical, developmental, or learning disabilities – face major barriers and disparities to academic success because colleges and universities fail to provide these students with text books, course readers, and library research materials in alternative formats they can read. These … Continue reading » “UC Berkeley Accommodations Initiative Structured Negotiations”
September 14, 2012
In January 2011, DRA and Sheppard Mullin filed a class action lawsuit against New York City and the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) on behalf of a coalition of people with disabilities, including Taxis For All Campaign, United Spinal Association, 504 Democratic Club, and Disabled In Action, challenging the TLC’s dismal lack of … Continue reading » “Taxis For All Campaign v. Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)”
September 14, 2012
Mr. Goodwin is a person of short stature who relies on a customized wheelchair for mobility. In 2011, Mr. Goodwin was travelling on a San Francisco sidewalk to catch a bus home when he fell from his wheelchair. He sustained injuries that required medical attention, and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in San … Continue reading » “City and County of San Francisco Structured Negotiations”
September 14, 2012
In 2010, DRA; Jose Allen, partner at Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom LLP; and AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL) achieved a landmark $1.1 billion dollar settlement with Caltrans, the largest architectural access settlement to date for people with disabilities. Under the settlement, Caltrans agreed to improve the surface conditions of thousands of miles of sidewalks and … Continue reading » “Californians for Disability Rights, Inc. (CDR), et al. v. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)”
September 7, 2012
As technology plays a central role in many facets of our lives from communication to purchasing goods, enrolling in classes and seeking employment, it is important now more than ever to bridge the digital divide between technology and people with disabilities. In 2006, DRA represented the National Federation of the Blind and three blind plaintiffs … Continue reading » “National Federation of the Blind (NFB), et al. v. Target Corporation”
September 7, 2012
In 2009, DRA reached a landmark settlement with two major travel websites – Hotels.com and Expedia.com. Under the settlement, the major online travel service companies agreed to improve reservation services for travelers with disabilities. Both companies added new features to their travel websites to improve the ability for people with disabilities to search and reserve … Continue reading » “Smith, et al. v. Hotels.com”
September 6, 2012
The City and County of Los Angeles have experienced multiple natural disasters ranging from earthquakes, fires, and landslides; the County of L.A. has declared a state of emergency over twenty-four times since 1980. L.A.’s vulnerability to disasters highlighted the critical need to ensure that the City and County of L.A. include the safety of people … Continue reading » “Communities Actively Living Independent and Free (CALIF), et al. v. City of Los Angeles”
September 6, 2012
DRA reached a settlement through structured negotiations with Amazon.com on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind. Under the settlement, Amazon.com agreed to make its website, as well as several affiliated websites, fully accessible to people with disabilities who use assistive technology to read and navigate internet websites. This was a monumental achievement for … Continue reading » “Amazon.com Structured Negotiations”
August 28, 2012
DRA prevailed after many years of hard-fought litigation against United of Omaha Life Insurance Company. This case has positively altered the landscape of insurance coverage for people with disabilities in California. A U.S. District Court judge found that United discriminated against Howard Chabner, a man with muscular dystrophy, by charging him a life insurance premium … Continue reading » “Chabner v. United of Omaha”