Americans with Disabilities Act

The city of Portland is wearing the Yellow Jersey on equity issues connected to the Biketown bikeshare system.

March 1, 2017 - Bike Portland

The long, ongoing project of retrofitting sidewalks and curbs to allow access for users of all needs continues. Project Sidewalk puts the power to audit sidewalks for accessibility in your hands.

September 23, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

The requirement to provide paratransit services is written into the Americans With Disabilities Act, so transit agencies must continue to find ways to provide these essential services as cost-effectively as possible.

September 22, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Next City examines the fruits of a Department of Justice effort to force cities to bring their sidewalks and other public spaces into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

June 14, 2016 - Next City

Twenty-five years have passed since the United States approved a civil rights law with broad and positive affect on the build environment as we've come to know it.

August 10, 2015 - Curbed

Peter Apps, a quadriplegic for the past nine years, shares insight into how he evaluates the mobility and access of cities.

June 28, 2015 - Citymetric

In some cities, maintenance of sidewalks is not the responsibility of the city but of adjacent landowners. Philadelphia is finding what a hassle this arrangement can be. With countless blocks in disrepair, everyone is passing the buck.

April 22, 2015 - Philadelphia Magazine

New technology could open a new era of independence for blind and visually impaired residents of communities everywhere.

March 26, 2015 - Urbanful

Scott Schafer pens a column inspired by watching a visually impaired woman navigate a busy corner of Minneapolis. The question raised by the column: How can we improve level of service for the blind?

February 11, 2015 - Streets.MN

WalletHub recently released the "2014 Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities" to highlight the economic power of providing employment opportunities and livable communities for people with special needs.

October 7, 2014 - WalletHub

A new application, "Playgrounds for Everyone," has a growing database of 2505 inclusive and accessible playgrounds around the country suitable for children with special needs.

September 12, 2014 - NPR

Lamar Anderson tells the story of architect Chris Downey, who lost his eyesight six years ago but has persevered in his career first as a consultant and then as the lead architect for the new Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco.

August 14, 2014 - Curbed SF

Federal requirements often aren't enough incentive for municipalities to create accessible playgrounds, so parent advocates are paving the way for kids with special needs to access playgrounds.

September 2, 2013 - NPR

Judy Woodruff reports on the Department of Justice decision requiring government and private building owners to alleviate architectural barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from taking full advantage of facilities' amenities.

March 17, 2012 - PBS NewsHour

Civil rights activists sued CalTrans for failing to provide wheelchair ramps across the state. In federal court yesterday, CalTrans settled with the groups, agreeing to over a billion dollars in access improvements over 30 years.

December 23, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

A number of curb ramps in Jackson, Miss., are built to meet federal regulations but are completely unusable by wheelchairs. [VIDEO]

September 21, 2009 - WLBT-TV

Citing the estimated current cost of repairs as a partial reason for noncompliance with federal law, Caltrans heads to court against disability advocacy groups. The agency has failed to maintain or upgrade thousands of curbs and intersections.

September 18, 2009 - Los Angeles Times