U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

LEXINGTON, Ky.– The 30^thAnniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA), a critical civil rights law that aims to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities, was celebrated on Sunday, July 26, 2020, by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky is proud to play a critical role in the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts under the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and is the nation’s preeminent civil rights law for providing access and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.

“The purpose of the ADA is to provide equal access and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, including by removing physical and social barriers, allowing for full participation in all society has to offer,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office remains committed to investigating and remedying ADA violations to ensure that no American is deprived of opportunities to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.”

The following ADA cases were recently investigated and settled by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky:

• A settlement with Tenth Frame Cinemas, LLC, in Mt. Sterling, Ky.; Danville Cinemas, LLC, in Danville, Ky.; Somerset Cinemas, LLC, in Somerset, Ky.; and Morehead Cinemas, LLC, in Morehead, Ky., in which the cinemas agreed to provide sufficient closed captioning technology,  allowing individuals with hearing and/or sight impairments to enjoy newly released movies. Read the press release on the settlement here.
• The Wildwood Inn Tropical Dome and Theme Suites in Florence, Kentucky (“Wildwood Inn”) entered into an agreement with the United States to adopt a Service Animal Policy, train its staff members on ADA requirements for service animals, and post signage permitting service animals. . Read the press release on the settlement here.
• Buddy’s Pizza, LLC, and Crumbaugh, LLC, in Frankfort, Ky., entered into an agreement with the United States to install an ADA accessible entrance ramp at the main entrance and construct a new, accessible bathroom.  In addition, signage at the restaurant will be modified to comply with the ADA’s requirements. Read the press release on the settlement here.

The promise of the ADA is its wide-ranging efforts to eliminate disability discrimination across the range of services, programs, and activities that most Americans take for granted, but were largely inaccessible to individuals with disabilities prior to the law’s enactment. Whether in employment, areas of civic life, or in the day-to-day activities and access to goods and services that we all enjoy – the ADA ensures that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same opportunities as all Americans to participate in everything this nation has to offer.

Over the past 30 years, the United States has undertaken the challenge of changing perceptions about disability, tearing down barriers to equality, and altering the systems that have historically excluded people with disabilities. Today, the Justice Department commemorates the many ways that the ADA has transformed society—by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.

For more information about the 30^th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov. To file a complaint with the Department, please visit the Civil Rights Division’s portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. For more information about the ADA, call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY).

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

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