Cases
Disability rights
When a building, a school, an employer or an agency won’t make room for a disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and related laws require employers, governments, schools and businesses open to the public to make reasonable changes so people with disabilities can take part. A step with no ramp, a website a screen reader can’t use, a jail that takes away a wheelchair: each can be a violation.
Many of these cases are less about money than about making a place work. Often the result we want is a ramp, a policy or an interpreter that will still be there for the next person.
What it can include
The ground these cases cover
Access to buildings
Entrances, restrooms, parking and paths that a wheelchair or walker can’t use.
Employment accommodation
An employer refusing a schedule change, equipment or leave a disability needs.
Effective communication
Hospitals, courts and police without sign language interpreters or accessible documents.
Schools and colleges
Students denied accommodations, or disciplined for behavior tied to a disability.
Jails and prisons
Detainees denied mobility aids, medication or accessible cells.
Websites and apps
Online services that shut out blind, deaf or motor-impaired users.
Questions people ask first
Does the ADA let me recover money?
It depends on the law and who broke it. Some claims allow damages; others allow only a court order to fix the problem, plus attorney’s fees. We’ll tell you which applies.
Do I have to ask for an accommodation first?
At work, usually yes, and in writing helps. If you asked and were refused, keep that record.
Can I bring a case on behalf of my child?
Yes. A parent or guardian can bring a claim for a minor, including against a school.
What if the place is small or old?
Older and smaller places still have duties, though what’s required can differ. It’s worth asking.
If it shut you out, it’s shutting others out too
Tell us where it happened and what you needed. We’ll tell you what the law requires of them.
Most of our cases are on contingency: no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you. You may still owe court costs and case expenses, and we put how those work in writing before you sign anything.