Not the first instance of this particular surprise on the part of a serial ADA complainant, and no doubt not the last instance either. [Julia Marsh, Kevin Sheehan and Ruth Brown, New York Post, more, followup editorial]
Not the first instance of this particular surprise on the part of a serial ADA complainant, and no doubt not the last instance either. [Julia Marsh, Kevin Sheehan and Ruth Brown, New York Post, more, followup editorial]
6 Comments
According to the article in the NY Post:
“[Matatov] said he usually needs a wheelchair but he didn’t comment in terms of when he needed it.”
I would guess it’s an absolute necessity when shaking down businesses for lack of wheelchair access.
Bob
The law as formulated is based on bounty hunting which legislators view as cheaper than enforcing the law themselves and “hands off” for themselves. This is totally wrong. It would be like allowing a lawsuit because your soup had a fly in it. A business should always have the right to fix a problem before facing ruinous lawsuits.There have furthermore been cases where the law cannot be complied with, like an old building turned into restaurant where it will not accommodate an elevator or where the only space for a bathroom is too small for wheelchair access. The goal of handicapped access is met when the handicapped can mostly get around, and businesses have tried very hard to do this. Strict adherence enforcement is only for the benefit of lawyers and can do tremendous damage, as in the free online lectures taken down by that calif univ.
“Wheelchair-bound man who sues inaccessible shops can walk”
Hallelujah!
There are people who truly do need a wheelchair but can walk short distances. I know a man who was in a very serious auto accident. Pretty much anything that you can survive getting broken got broken. He uses a wheelchair but is not paralyzed. He can walk short distances and can, for example, get himself out of his wheelchair and into his truck (he can drive), but he can’t walk more than something like 10 yards. It sounds like Matatov is more mobile than my friend, but the ability to walk a little bit should not be taken to mean that a wheelchair is not needed.
I suspect it’s only “a little bit” from the door to each restaurant this guy was shaking down, to a table.
I have had four surgeries on my left ankle/foot. Each resulted in me being wheelchair bound for 12-16 weeks. I could have used crutches, but ya know, blind… On the other hand, I managed all four times without suing anyone. I’ve never even sued a website for lack of accessibility, so maybe i’m not a good example… 😀