U.S. Attorney’s Office Marks 30th Anniversary Of The Americans With Disabilities Act

Matthew Schneider, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, today marked the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. The ADA is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, government activities, and public accommodations. The ADA has advanced the promise of equal access in our society, ensuring that people with disabilities enjoy the same opportunity as all Americans to fully participate in our society. We honor the many ways that the ADA has transformed our society – by replacing exclusion with access, segregation with integration, and limitations with self-determination.  However, work still needs to be done to ensure full inclusion for people with disabilities. 

The ADA empowers the Department of Justice to investigate, litigate, and resolve complaints of discrimination as well as authorizing the Government to conduct compliance reviews of covered entities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its Civil Rights Unit, has used the ADA to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to fully participate in many aspects of society including voting, health care, child care, education, housing, shopping, dining, and travelling. “The ADA affirmed our nation’s most fundamental commitments to equal opportunity and fairness for all,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. “We understand that despite the strides that have been made towards equal access, far too many barriers remain, but our office will continue our efforts to tear down the shameful wall of exclusion that prevents full participation in our society for individuals with disabilities.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prioritized enforcing the ADA to secure the rights of people with disabilities in the Eastern District of Michigan in several recent matters. These efforts include:

ENSURING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Settlement with William Beaumont Hospital to resolve ADA investigation regarding effective communication for individuals who were deaf or hard of hearing. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-reaches-agreement-william-beaumont-hospital-resolve-ada

• Settlements with two medical offices to resolve allegations that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to provide effective communication to patients persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/justice-department-settles-disability-claims-two-clinical-psychology-offices-involving
• Agreement with Macomb County Prosecutor's Office to ensure effective communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorneys-office-and-michigan-department-civil-rights-reach-agreement-macomb-county

PREVENTING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

• Nationwide settlement with Learning Care Group, Inc. to resolve allegations that it denied children requiring insulin injections and their families the full benefit of its child care services. /media/943696/dl?inline
• Nationwide settlement with Little League Baseball, Inc. to protect rights of players with disabilities. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/visually-impaired-boy-fights-to-make-baseball-accessible-and-wins-1263774275638
• Settlement with Sunny Skies Child Care Center in Clawson over claim of discrimination against a child with a peanut allergy. /media/1032716/dl?inline

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PROMOTING CIVIC ACCESS

• Settlement with 11 municipalities in Isabella County to ensure access for individuals with disabilities at polling places. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorneys-office-resolves-ada-investigation-polling-sites-isabella-county-mi-ensure
• Settlement with Dayton Township to ensure civic access for individuals with disabilities. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-obtains-ada-settlement-dayton-township-ensure-civic-access-people

REMOVING PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO ACCESS

• Agreement with the Fill Building, a Madison Heights office building, to enact structural changes to make building accessible for individuals with disabilities. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-announces-settlement-agreement-resolve-americans-disabilities-act
• Agreement with the Red Olive Restaurant in St. Clair Shores to improve physical accessibility for individuals with disabilities. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/st-clair-shores-restaurant-and-shopping-center-works-us-attorneys-office-improve-access
• Settlement with Roberts Riverwalk Hotel in Detroit to improve access for people with disabilities. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-reaches-settlement-roberts-riverwalk-hotel-detroit-improve-access
• Completed compliance review of the University of Michigan’s Mcity driverless shuttle program. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-resolves-ada-compliance-review-university-michigan-s-mcity

EMBRACING SERVICE ANIMALS

• Settlement with the Bangor Township School District in Bay City to resolve allegations that the school district violated the ADA by refusing to allow a student with disabilities to use his service dog in school. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/us-attorney-s-office-obtains-settlement-school-district-bay-city-resolve-ada
• Settlement with Joyce’s Farm Market in Ottawa Lake to resolve an allegation that it refused service to an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/united-states-attorney-s-office-settles-ada-dispute-joyce-s-farm-market-involving

The Civil Rights Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office handles complaints of noncompliance with the ADA.  Members of the public with a complaint relating to ADA compliance may submit a complaint by email to www.usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov, or by calling (313) 226-9151.

For more information on the ADA, or the 30^th Anniversary of the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov.