Amtrak Compensates People with Disabilities Facing Station Barriers

Author: National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) - Contact: ndrn.org
Published: 2021/02/05
Peer-Reviewed: N/A
On This Page: Summary - Main Article - About/Author

Synopsis: U.S. railway company Amtrak starts compensating disabled experiencing inaccessibility at rail stations. Amtrak was given twenty years after the ADA was passed in 1990 to make stations accessible, but by 2010 had failed to make progress. Amtrak created compensation fund as part of DOJ settlement which found railroad had engaged in disability discrimination violations of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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Main Digest

People with mobility disabilities who encountered inaccessible Amtrak stations can begin submitting claims for monetary compensation. Claims must be submitted by May 29, 2021.

Amtrak created the compensation fund as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) which found the railroad had engaged in disability discrimination violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Amtrak was given twenty years after the ADA was passed in 1990 to make stations accessible, but by 2010 had failed to make progress. An investigation in 2013 by the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) found numerous barriers at stations all over the country. NDRN then submitted a complaint to the Department of Justice which spurred their investigation and eventual settlement with Amtrak.

The U.S. National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.

"Transportation is the linchpin of community integration," said NDRN Executive Director Curt Decker. "Without it, many people with disabilities cannot go to work, go shopping, visit their friends and family, or accomplish many of the day-to-day tasks necessary to live in the community."

Compensation

Per the agreement, Amtrak will bring its inaccessible stations into compliance with the law while offering financial compensation to people negatively impacted through the establishment of the victim's compensation fund.

According to the DOJ, to be eligible for monetary compensation, an individual must:

Claims

Questions about making claims should be directed to the settlement administrator by any of the following methods:

Attribution/Source(s):

This quality-reviewed article relating to our Disability Accessibility section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "Amtrak Compensates People with Disabilities Facing Station Barriers" was originally written by National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and published by Disabled-World.com on 2021/02/05. Should you require further information or clarification, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) can be contacted at ndrn.org. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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Cite This Page (APA): National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). (2021, February 5). Amtrak Compensates People with Disabilities Facing Station Barriers. Disabled World. Retrieved November 29, 2023 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/accessibility/ndrn-amtrak.php

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