City of Baltimore Agrees to Partially Settle Dispute, Enhancing Street Accessibility for Citizens with Mobility Issues
Baltimore Agrees to Set Aside Funds for Improving Sidewalk Access for Disabled Residents
Baltimore, MD - In a significant move towards enhancing accessibility, the City of Baltimore and a group of pedestrians with mobility disabilities have reached a settlement agreement. The consent decree, a preliminary step towards resolving claims brought forward by the disability class, alleges that the majority of curb ramps and sidewalks in Baltimore do not comply with federal disability rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Under the terms of the decree, the City of Baltimore has pledged a minimum of $44 million, with potential expenditures reaching $50 million, over a four-year period. These funds will be channeled towards the construction and remediation of thousands of curb ramps and the repair of tens of thousands of square feet of sidewalks throughout Baltimore.
Additionally, the decree requires Baltimore to ensure ongoing compliance with the ADA and Section 504, establish new programs to boost sidewalk accessibility for disabled residents and visitors, and improve its 311 system regarding requests and complaints related to the accessibility of specific intersections and sidewalks.
Negotiations for a long-term plan, aiming to make all remaining curb ramps and sidewalks accessible to disabled individuals, will commence in the third year of the decree.
Madeleine Reichman, Senior Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, stated, "This decree establishes the necessary programs to ensure that Baltimore finally upholds the promises of the Americans with Disabilities Act, thus allowing people with mobility disabilities to navigate the city as safely as everyone else."
Gabriel Rubinstein, Managing Attorney at Disability Rights Maryland, added, "Years of advocacy have led to this milestone in creating a more accessible Baltimore. We are grateful for our partnership with the IMAGE Center, the Baltimore area's Center for Independent Living, our three named plaintiffs, and community members, and we look forward to working with the City to ensure the obligations of the decree are fulfilled and progress towards full accessibility continues."
Tim Fox with Fox & Robertson expressed, "Federal and state disability access laws were enacted decades ago to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to fully participate in civic life. Today, we stand together with the City of Baltimore to ensure that people with disabilities can travel independently throughout their communities. Inaccessible curb ramps and sidewalks hinder persons with disabilities from being fully integrated into their communities."
The lawsuit, "Goodlaxson, et al. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore," filed on June 10, 2021, by three individuals with mobility disabilities and the IMAGE Center of Maryland on behalf of a class of pedestrians with mobility disabilities, is being represented by Disability Rights Advocates, Disability Rights Maryland, Fox & Robertson, and Dardarian Ho Kan & Lee (formerly Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho).
For more information about Disability Rights Advocates, visit www.dralegal.org. Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) can be found at www.disabilityrightsmd.org. Further details about Fox & Robertson are available at www.foxrob.com. Information concerning Dardarian Ho Kan & Lee (formerly Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho) can be found at www.dhkl.law.
- In line with the focus on civic equality, Baltimore's commitment to allocating funds for improving sidewalk access for disabled residents may pave the way for boosting programs in health-and-wellness, encouraging increased fitness-and-exercise among those with mobility disabilities.
- As Baltimore strategizes to create a more inclusive city by remedying inaccessible sidewalks and curb ramps, it is anticipated that these improvements will contribute to a healthier and more science-informed urban environment for all residents, including those with mobility disabilities.
