Disability Law United and our fantastic co-counsel at the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) are happy to announce that our organizations and the City and County of Denver have reached an agreement that will put Denver at the forefront of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramp installation requirements.
This work will have widespread benefits for people with disabilities and other pedestrians across the city.
“This is a monumental step toward ensuring Denver is an accessible and welcoming city,” said Mayor Michael B Hancock. “Not only has our city been able to catch up on critical curb ramp installation work, but we have a roadmap that will result in better, safer and more multimodal transportation choices for people with disabilities and other pedestrians.”
Disability Law United and CCDC approached Denver in December 2013 about curb ramps that should have been installed in conjunction with recent street improvements. The city immediately acknowledged the need for compliance, began to install the curb ramps and worked with Disability Law United and CCDC to craft a comprehensive roadmap that would have enduring impacts on the city’s curb ramp program and put Denver at the forefront of accessibility nationwide.
“This settlement will guarantee that Denver’s curb ramps are accessible to people with mobility disabilities,” said Timothy Fox, Co-Executive Director of Disability Law United. “It will make it much easier for people with mobility disabilities to get to and use government facilities, to find or get to jobs, to go shopping, to go to the doctor, to participate in community life, and to be with their friends and families.”
Julie Reiskin, Executive Director of CCDC, said, “This important agreement will ensure that Denver meets the core purposes of the ADA: independence and equality. We are pleased that the City was willing to make such a strong commitment to accessibility, without having to resort to litigation.”
The city has already kicked off this work in advance of the agreement, dedicating $10 million in 2015 and 2016 to install curb ramps.
In the agreement with Disability Law United and CCDC, Denver commits to install a minimum of 1,500 curb ramps a year and to perform a comprehensive survey of street corners citywide to identify the number and types of curb ramps that are missing or do not comply with current standards. The survey work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017.
Per ADA accessibility standards, curb ramps are to be installed or upgraded to current standards when the city alters or improves a street. The agreement does not require curb ramps to be installed on corners that do not have sidewalks or pedestrian walkways.