To help prevent expensive lawsuits over disability-access violations, a pilot program launched Tuesday offers financial assistance to small-business owners in the Sunset and Richmond districts who want to get certified inspections.
The initiative is a “proactive” effort to address litigation problems, said Supervisor Carmen Chu, who helped launch the program and who represents the Sunset. Read More
When one of John Howett’s tenants was sued for ADA violations because of a concrete lip that prevented some customers from entering the Grant Avenue business early last month, he sprang into action.
Howett hired a lawyer and ordered a portable ramp the business could set up or remove for wheelchair-using patrons entering and exiting the nail salon. Read More
Since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, thousands of lawsuits have been filed, claiming violations such as high bathroom mirrors in restaurants and too-narrow aisles in bookstores. The legal action can be crippling to small businesses — and a windfall for the litigants. Read More
A diabetic cashier was wrongly fired from her job at a South San Francisco Walgreens store after grabbing a bag of chips to stave off a hypoglycemic attack, federal authorities have alleged.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Walgreen Co. in federal court in San Francisco on Thursday, accusing the company of violating Josefina Hernandez’s civil rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Read More
Matt Traywick credits his relationship with his dog, Charlie, for saving him from spiraling into depression and locking himself inside his Tenderloin studio. But the pair’s companionship is no longer protected by federal disability guidelines, even though Traywick’s psychiatrist said the relationship is essential to Traywick’s well-being. Read More
Lawsuits against San Francisco businesses for failing to provide access for wheelchair users have been on the rise in recent months, and now some merchants are calling for a plan to protect small businesses. Read More
For 3½ years, San Francisco has been embroiled in a lawsuit brought by a wheelchair-bound woman who alleges that The City does not do enough to make its sidewalks, parks, libraries and pools accessible to the disabled. Read More
Mayor Gavin Newsom will share some of his own thoughts about the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the North Light Court at City Hall Monday at noon. Read More
A fair promoting awareness about people with disabilities and the obstacles they face will be held Monday in Redwood City. The event is sponsored by the San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the mericans with Disabilities Act. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the County Center Plaza, 455 County Center. Admission is free. Read More
