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Accessibility

Overview

Federal and state anti-discrimination laws promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of public life, employment, and housing. Employers and commercial and institutional clients benefit from our creative and experienced advice to help them navigate successfully through these complicated and important issues. In addition, by increasing access to their businesses and services, clients improve employee morale, expand their customer bases, and foster a more inclusive and user-friendly environment.

Property owners, landlords, tenants, management companies, businesses, and website owners face expansive liability under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which concentrates on the accessibility of the public accommodations and commercial facilities. The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) and local regulations also govern accessibility in residential buildings. In addition, employers now defend more than 24,000 disability discrimination complaints filed under Title I of the ADA annually, making these complaints as common as sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. Complaints about ADA violations may be brought individually or as class actions, in which clients could face significant legal and financial exposure, as well as negative publicity. 

We are focused on helping our commercial and institutional clients avoid litigation and counseling them on minimizing legal risk. When there is litigation, our team knows how to address violations and craft realistic compliance and settlement plans, which minimize future exposure. If disputes cannot be settled fairly, we have the proven ability to advocate successfully on our clients’ behalf in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies.

The areas where we assist clients address ADA, FHA, and related issues include:

  • Developing compliance programs and plans, including policies, procedures, training materials, and contract language 
  • Counseling on how to comply with ADA and FHA regulations and local accessibility requirements, including for residential and commercial buildings, websites, mobile apps, and transportation services.
  • Defending against ADA and other discrimination claims in the workplace associated with hiring, termination, and requests for reasonable accommodations
  • Defending against  ADA, FHA, and other accessibility claims before courts and in administrative proceedings

To learn more about our ADA and FHA capabilities, please contact:

Len Freiman  Jen Furey             Matt Horvitz

Len Freiman

617.574.4188

[email protected]           

Jennifer Furey

617.574.3575

[email protected]

 Matthew Horvitz

 617.574.4053

 [email protected]