Author: Mark Potter

Ride Share Discrimination

They Should Be Held Accountable Transportation is essential for people of all ages and backgrounds to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. It plays a vital role in many aspects of daily life, including access to employment, education, health care, and social/recreational activities. Put simply, transportation is a requirement for full participation in a community. Despite the obvious importance, people… Continue Reading..

Service Animals

Because many of our clients enjoy the benefit of having a service dog, we get wide-ranging questions about what it takes to qualify as a service dog and what rights are afforded to people with disabilities who use service dogs. Let’s clarify some of the misconceptions about service dogs. A qualified service dog is any dog: “individually trained” to “do… Continue Reading..

Disability Civil Rights: It’s Just Common Sense

A recent lawsuit against Starbucks demonstrates a very important point about disability civil rights: most of the time it is just common sense.   Yes, there are technical requirements for physical access under the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is, in fact, an actual building code for accessible design. But the ADA’s building code is different than any other on… Continue Reading..

Medical Facilities: The Doctor Is In … But Not For Everyone

DISABILITY RIGHTS LAWS CAN HELP ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE RESULTING FROM DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND UNLAWFUL PHYSICAL BARRIERS[1]        The accessibility and usability of hospitals, doctors’ offices, rehabilitation centers and other providers of health care services is essential in providing necessary medical care to people with disabilities. Due to discriminatory policies and physical barriers in our health care system, individuals with… Continue Reading..

Rental Car Companies and Auto Dealerships Must Provide Vehicles With Hand Controls

Federal Judge Finds That CarMax Has a Legal Obligation under the ADA to Provide Vehicle Hand Controls for Test Driving Vehicles The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990. A broad and sweeping piece of civil rights legislation, it has improved the day-to-day lives of persons with disabilities in countless ways. One of the obligations that businesses have under… Continue Reading..

Los Angeles‬ Abilities Expo This Weekend

Come and see The Center For Disability Access at Abilities Expo Los Angeles‬ (Friday – Sunday), the one-stop for products, education and FUN for people with disabilities! To add onto all the fun we’re having, click the contest flyer below to check out our Service Animal Contest. It’ll take you over to our Facebook page for information on how to… Continue Reading..

Ground Breaking ADA Decision Out of 9th Circuit Ruling

Today the Ninth Circuit ruled that governmental entities must have handicap parking spaces among the other public on-street parking they provide. But this seemingly simple ruling has the potential to go much further in its application, promising to increase access to everything from civic buildings to community parks to downtown shopping areas for tens of thousands of persons with disabilities… Continue Reading..

City Agrees to Make Sidewalk Wheelchair Accessible!

Accessible sidewalks are an essential component to ensure that people with disabilities are integrated into the country’s economic and social life. Without properly configured sidewalks, public travel for individuals who use wheelchairs is, at best, inconvenient, and, at worst, life-threatening. The lack of properly configured sidewalks inhibits the ability of individuals who use wheelchairs to travel safely and effectively within… Continue Reading..

New ADAAG Mandates Access to Swimming Pools

The new Americans with Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG 2011) went into effect on March 15, 2012.  There are many changes in the new ADAAG, which we will be discussing in future articles. In this article we are discussing access to swimming pools. While California Building Code has required disability access into swimming pools for a while, the previous ADAAG… Continue Reading..