Disability Accommodations and Access

Businesses are required to carefully navigate disability discrimination and accessibility regulations to avoid liability. These regulations have become increasingly complex over time and are subject to frequent change. An employer’s obligation under laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), begins with physical access to work facilities, but also continues to development and implementation of policies, practices, and procedures that foster compliance, reduce risk of violations, and prevent future agency investigation and litigation. Compliance with these laws and regulations can present unique challenges for businesses.

Understand common obligations and unique accommodation needs.

The firm guides employers and business owners through disability access and accommodation challenges in a wide range of settings and employment situations. We assist our clients in understanding their obligation and keep them informed of changes in this developing area of the law. The obligation to provide accessibility and accommodation may in some cases extend beyond making modifications to the physical building or workspace, to making modifications to technology or workplace policies. The firm has experience in assisting employers with disability accommodation and access matters across high-risk industries such as healthcare, hospitality, retail, mortgage, and transportation.

Representative Experience:

The firm obtained a favorable settlement for a national mortgage company in an arbitration proceeding before JAMS in California that alleged the client discriminated against the employee and failed to accommodate his temporary physical injury.

The firm represented and obtained a favorable settlement for a national mortgage company in a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara, California. The lawsuit alleged, among other claims, that the client discriminated against the former employee due to her mental illness and anxiety disorder.