FAQ about the Court Order Requiring Chicago to Install APS at City Intersections

BACKGROUND

What is American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago et al. v. City of Chicago?

  • In 2019, the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago and three blind individuals filed a class action lawsuit against Chicago seeking to make Chicago more accessible for blind pedestrians
  • The case alleged that Chicago was in violation of the ADA and other disability rights laws by not installing accessible pedestrian signals (APS). APS are devices at crosswalks that communicate traffic safety information (WALK and DON’T WALK signals) in non-visual formats such as audible tones and/or speech messages and vibrating surfaces
  • When this case was filed, less than one half of one percent of the City’s 2,800+ signalized intersections had APS
  • Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and Proskauer Rose LLP are the attorneys who represent the plaintiffs and the class. The U.S. Department of Justice joined the suit shortly after it was filed
  • Learn more about the case

What was the result of the lawsuit?

  • The plaintiffs and the class won the case!
  • In 2022, the court certified the case as a class action on behalf of all blind or low vision pedestrians who use Chicago’s signalized pedestrian intersections. Read the Class Certification Order
  • In 2023, the court found Chicago in violation of the ADA and other disability rights laws. Read the Summary Judgment Order
  • In 2025, the court issued a Remedial Order saying what Chicago must to do to comply with the law. Read the Remedial Order

REQUIREMENTS OF COURT REMEDIAL ORDER

How many intersections in Chicago will have APS? And when?

  • Chicago must install APS at a minimum of 71% of signalized intersections with pedestrian signals over the next 10 years
  • Minimum of yearly installations:
    • Year 1: 70
    • Year 2: 110
    • Year 3: 135
    • Year 4: 154
    • Year 5: 185
    • Year 6: 220
    • Year 7: 235
    • Years 8-10: 245 per year
  • Chicago must install APS at 100% of signalized intersections with pedestrian signals in the next 15 years, unless it goes back to court and proves that it achieved meaningful access after hitting 71%

How does Chicago decide which intersections to install APS first?

  • The City must prioritize APS installation at:
    • Locations where blind community members request an APS (with some limits)
    • Newly built intersections
    • Intersections with dangerous or complex designs, such as T-shaped intersections and intersections have three or more distinct streets
    • Intersections near public transit
    • Intersections near public facilities (like hospitals, schools, and disability service organizations)

How can the public stay informed?

  • The City has created an APS website that includes:
    • A list of intersections with APS
    • A place to submit and track requests for new APS installations
    • A place to submit and track requests for maintenance on APS
    • Contact information for APS program staff
  • The City will soon convene an APS Advisory Committee whose meetings can be publicly viewed
    • The Committee will include representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), and Chicago’s blind community, including organizations that service the blind community
    • The Committee will meet quarterly and provide feedback to the City
    • The public will be able to view the meetings through a video conferencing platform
  • Public reports of independent monitor
    • The court-appointed independent monitor will prepare annual reports assessing the City’s compliance. The first report is due July 1, 2026

How do I request an APS at specific intersections? What should I expect?

  • You can request an APS:
    • By phone by calling 311, your alderperson or MOPD
    • In person at your alderperson’s office or MOPD
  • In response to your request, the City must:
    • Post your request on the APS website within 30 days
    • Review and respond to your request within 6 months, giving an approximate timeline of when the request will be completed
    • Try to install APS within 12-24 months, depending on complexity
    • Update the APS website with the status of your request
  • If the City gets over 25 public requests a year, it can ask the court for an extension of time if there is a need to prioritize other intersections

How do I report an APS that needs repair? What should I expect?

  • You can report an APS that is broken or otherwise not working well:
    • By phone by calling 311, your alderperson or MOPD
    • In person at your alderperson’s office or MOPD
  • Chicago must:
    • Log repair requests on the public APS website
    • Repair or replace APS that are not functioning as intended within 5 business days, unless there are extenuating circumstances
    • If there are extenuating circumstances, include that determination and reason for the delay on the public tracking system
  • Chicago will also conduct routine maintenance inspections of all APS and repair or replace non-functioning APS within 5 business days, absent extenuating circumstances

Who makes sure Chicago follows the court order?

  • The court appointed an independent monitor named Michael Shaw who:
    • Gathers, reviews, and analyzes information to neutrally assess the City’s compliance with the Court’s order and report neutrally to the Court on the City’s compliance
    • Helps resolve disputes between the parties
  • Chicago must engage a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) to provide guidance on the navigation needs of blind pedestrians
  • Plaintiffs’ attorneys, also known as Class Counsel, will remain involved and actively monitor the City’s compliance
  • The community! We all know there will be some hiccups so we ask everyone to report issues with APS to the City so that we can collaboratively and proactively work to ensure a successful implementation of this important program

How long will this plan be in effect?

APS installations must be completed by 2040, but maintenance, requests, and updates to the APS program will continue afterward

FOR MORE INFORMATION