SFSU Settlement

Kynn,
Here is the news on the SFSU Settlement.   
Cynthia D. Waddell, ADA Coordinator, City of San Jose
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Disabled at S.F. State granted major victory 
Larry D. Hatfield
OF THE EXAMINER STAFF
Nov. 5, 1999 
©1999 San Francisco Examiner 

URL:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1999/11/05/
NEWS7531.dtl 



University settles suit, pledges to improve access at campus

San Francisco State University has pledged a more vigorous program to make
its campus more accessible to disabled students in a settlement that
disability rights advocates say puts S.F. State in the forefront of major
universities in removing barriers to the disabled. 

The settlement, announced Thursday by the university and three disability
rights law firms, pledges an aggressive program to expand access and
provides $100,000 to be divided among disabled student Elizabeth Campos and
29 others who filed suit two years ago under the 1990 Americans With
Disabilities Act. 

"Our goal in bringing this lawsuit was to make San Francisco State
University truly accessible to persons with disabilities," said Campos, the
lead plaintiff. "We are glad that this settlement will give students with
disabilities the access that they need." 

The settlement represented a major step forward for people with mobility and
vision disabilities, said Guy Wallace, an attorney for the Legal Aid Society
of San Francisco and co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "It is vital that
persons with mobility impairments and persons with visual impairments have
access to basic facilities such as classrooms, laboratories and restrooms,"
Wallace said. "This settlement goes a long way toward fulfilling the ADA's
goal of equal access to higher education." 

S.F. State President Robert Corrigan also hailed the settlement, which he
said "reflects our dedication to continually address the needs of persons
with disabilities on our campus. I look forward to working collaboratively
with the disabled community to achieve greater success in integrating and
supporting students and faculty with disabilities." 

The settlement committed S.F. State to a full-time disability coordinator to
enforce compliance with ADA and to a construction and renovation program to
remove barriers and improve access. 

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in 1997, cited inaccessible
bathrooms, dangerous dropoffs and a faculty club that was accessible only by
a freight elevator used for garbage removal. 

The case was due to go to trial Nov. 1. 

S.F. State said it has spent $8 million in the last decade to improve access
and another $2.7 million project was in progress. 

Besides the Oakland-based Disability Rights Advocates and the Legal Aid
Society / Employment Law Center in The City, the plaintiffs were represented
by Leonard, Carder, Nathan, Zuckerman, Ross, Chin & Remar of San Francisco. 

The settlement was the second major victory in a week for Disability Rights
Advocates. Last week, a federal judge ordered Macy's West to improve
disability access at its flagship Union Square store, a ruling that was
expected to affect other Macy's stores throughout California and retail
stores throughout the nation. 


©1999 San Francisco Examiner   Page A 7 

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Cynthia D. Waddell   
ADA Coordinator
City Manager Department
City of San Jose, CA USA
801 North First Street, Room 460
San Jose, CA  95110-1704
(408)277-4034
(408)971-0134 TTY
(408)277-3885 FAX
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/webcast/cynthia.htm
http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/access/waddell.htm

Received on Monday, 8 November 1999 17:06:00 UTC