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Resource for poll workers and voters with disabilities

Posted on September 30, 2024

The Great Plains ADA Center has developed a series of web pages to help poll workers train their volunteers and staff to understand the rights and possible needs of voters with disabilities. It provides an overview of training topics recommended for polling place staff and volunteers, including: Voting rights Voter assistance Disability awareness Disability awareness...

Supreme Court to decide if retirees can claim disability discrimination in benefits

Posted on September 19, 2024

The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear a case that will decide whether retirees can sue for disability discrimination because of changes to retiree benefit plans. A former firefighter sued the city of Sanford, Florida, claiming it discriminated against her when it shortened the length of health benefits for disabled retirees....

U.S. Access Board issues final rule setting low transfer height for certain medical diagnostic equipment

Posted on July 29, 2024

On July 25th, the U.S. Access Board issued a final rule setting a low transfer height of 17 inches for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) used when people are lying face-up, face-down, or on their side, or sitting up. The rule removes the old accessibility standards for MDE, which allowed for a low transfer height of...

Justice Department to publish final rule to improve access to medical care for people with disabilities

Posted on July 29, 2024

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. Accessible MDE is very important for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care. MDE includes equipment like: Medical examination tables, Weight...

GSA publishes final rule adopting new accessibility guidelines

Posted on July 11, 2024

On July 3, the General Services Administration (GSA) published a final rule adopting the U.S. Access Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) as part of the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS). The Architectural Barriers Act is a civil rights law that covers most federal facilities and requires them to be accessible to people with disabilities. All...

Justice Department finds civil rights violations by Phoenix Police Department and City of Phoenix

Posted on June 25, 2024

The U.S. Department of Justice found that the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix take part in activities that violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The unlawful activities include discriminating against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, homeless people, and those having behavioral health crises. For more information, read the U.S. Department...

Justice Department to publish final rule to strengthen web and mobile app access for people with disabilities

Posted on April 9, 2024

The Attorney General signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The rule clarifies the requirement that State and local governments need to make their websites and mobile apps accessible for people with disabilities. This rule will help people with disabilities use websites and mobile apps to access important...

American Cruise Lines to improve fleet accessibility in ADA settlement

Posted on January 19, 2024

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Connecticut reached a settlement agreement with American Cruise Lines. The cruise line was not following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some people complained that the cruise ships weren't easy for wheelchair users to get around or access. The settlement will lead to improvements. The deal covers...

Lawsuit against Nevada Detention Center for ongoing mistreatment of people who are deaf

Posted on January 17, 2024

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit charging Clark County Detention Center staff with disability discrimination against a person who is deaf. The lawsuit says the police violated the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Even though the lawsuit is about one person, the ACLU says it's a bigger problem, and they want the...

Justice Department files statement of interest in lawsuit about treatment for gender dysphoria in prison setting

Posted on January 11, 2024

The Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit about not allowing treatment for gender dysphoria in a prison setting. The statement says gender dysphoria is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s definition of “disability,” and prisons cannot deny the right medical care for people with gender dysphoria. The Georgia Department...

Justice Department’s proposed rule to improve access to medical care for people with disabilities

Posted on January 10, 2024

The Justice Department sent to the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that aims to make it easier for people with disabilities to use medical diagnostic equipment (MDE). MDEs include things like medical examination tables, scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines, and mammography equipment. They...

Government not meeting minimum accessibility standards on federal websites, GSA report finds

Posted on January 9, 2024

The General Services Administration (GSA) gave its report to Congress on federal website accessibility. The law, Section 508, says government agencies have to make their websites and digital things accessible. But many websites still have problems, like not describing images. The report says most agencies aren't doing well in following this law, and less than...

A Census Bureau proposal could shrink the U.S. disability rate by 40%

Posted on December 22, 2023

The Census Bureau wants to change how it counts people with disabilities in the U.S. Disability advocates worry that changes to the disability questions on the Bureau's yearly American Community Survey and how the results are shared could cause problems with the government's official numbers. It might make it harder for disabled people to get...

Providing an accessible workplace

Posted on December 21, 2023

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a new article called "Providing an Accessible Workplace." The article talks about laws federal agencies have to follow to make sure individuals with disabilities can fully access job facilities, physical spaces, and information technology. Also, it provides information about where agencies can find more resources to help them...

Supreme Court avoids ruling on disability rights case

Posted on December 12, 2023

Supreme Court avoids ruling on disability rights case involving activist Deborah Laufer. Laufer reviewed hotel websites for ADA compliance. The case questioned if she could sue hotels for not disclosing accessibility information if she didn't plan to book a room. The case could have stopped the ability of “testers” to bring lawsuits to benefit the...

Justice Department gets agreement with Arizona prisons to stop discriminating against people with vision disabilities

Posted on November 17, 2023

The Arizona prisons are changing how they treat people who are blind or have low vision. They weren't giving them aids or services like Braille, audio materials, or screen reading software so they could communicate well. It was also hard for people with vision disabilities to ask for help or complain about the problems. The...

Justice Department reaches agreement with Alameda County, CA to improve mental health services

Posted on November 8, 2023

The Department of Justice reached an agreement with Alameda County, California, and others who had filed complaints, to improve community-based mental health services. The Department found that Alameda County violated Title II of the ADA by putting people with mental health disabilities in institutions when they could have been helped with community-based services. The agreement...

The Justice Department has new guidance on the ADA and public employment and day services for people with disabilities

Posted on November 3, 2023

The Justice Department has new guidance about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)'s "integration mandate" applies to public employment and day services. The integration mandate says state and local governments have to provide services to people with disabilities in the most inclusive setting possible. Many people with disabilities are in sheltered workshops and day...

Justice Department settles with Hawaii apartment builders over disability discrimination

Posted on October 30, 2023

The Justice Department reached a settlement with a Hawaii developer and others who were accused of not designing and building five multifamily housing complexes with the required accessible features. This violates the Fair Housing Act, which is a law that ensures housing is accessible to everyone. The agreement requires the companies to pay a fine...

Quest Diagnostics lawsuit over inaccessible kiosks can go to trial

Posted on October 30, 2023

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) won a case in California against Quest Diagnostics. The case is about their self-service kiosks being inaccessible to blind people. This violates the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). The case can now go to trial and is for all legally blind people who visited Quest in 2018 and 2019...

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