Court Rules that NYC Violated the ADA

November 2013 — A recent ruling by the United States District Court found that New York City failed to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities when planning for and responding to disasters in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. While the court acknowledged the robustness of the City’s emergency preparedness plans, it also concluded that the City has not done enough to “provide people with disabilities meaningful access to its emergency preparedness program.”  Specifically, the court highlighted that the plan does not include provisions for evacuating people with disabilities from multistory buildings, providing accessible evacuation transportation, ensuring that shelters are ADA accessible, ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities are met during power outages, or providing accessible communications for people with disabilities. Although the case only holds the City liable for their actions, the decision highlights the importance of accessibility during emergencies for people with disabilities within all communities.