[blindlaw] Announcement: DOJ Settlement Agreement with WalmartStores, Inc.

[Michael Fry]

discriminating against service dogs and other accessibility issues while the
disabled person is in the store is particularly egregious to me.

On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 9:28 PM, <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> I like it.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <b75205 at gmail.com>
> To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 7:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Announcement: DOJ Settlement Agreement with
> WalmartStores, Inc.
>
>
>   No the solution here is to contact Dayton Hudson Corporation and tell
>> them that Walmart was doing this, so they can put it into their Target ads
>> that if you are blind we will not shut the door on you or kick you out of
>> the store. That would have done much more than any of this stuff. You need
>> to humiliate the corporate boardroom and make heads roll before you are
>> going to see any real changes out there.
>>
>> James
>>
>> On Feb 2, 2009 9:06pm, "Craig%20R.%20Anderson" <mar.cra at comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Well, folks, this is perhaps better than nothing. But in this settlement
>>>
>> Wal-mart is agreeing to do little more than comply with the law for the
>> next three years and pay a nominal amount into a dedicated fund. With the
>> federal government incurring a trillion dollars in debt this fiscal year,
>> and the country in a raging recession, couldn't the DOJ have expended its
>> scarce resources here to at least slightly more fruitful effect?
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Craig
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Noel Nightingale Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>>
>>>
>>> > From: Region V ADA Information [mailto:GREATLAKES at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU]On
>>>
>>>
>>> > Behalf Of Robin Jones
>>>
>>>
>>> > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 11:32 AM
>>>
>>>
>>> > To: GREATLAKES at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
>>>
>>>
>>> > Subject: Announcement: DOJ Settlement Agreement with Walmart Stores,
>>>
>>>
>>> > Inc.
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > The following information is forwarded to you by the DBTAC-Great Lakes
>>>
>> ADA
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Center (www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > Settlement Agreement between the United States of America and Wal-Mart
>>>
>>>
>>> > Stores, Inc. Under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > On January 16, 2009, the Civil Rights Division entered into a >
>>> settlement
>>>
>>>
>>> > agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. under Title III of the Americans
>>>
>> with
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve access for persons with disabilities
>>>
>> at
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The agreement resolves an investigation >
>>> that
>>>
>>>
>>> > was initiated after the Department received several complaints alleging
>>>
>>>
>>> > that Wal-Mart had refused to make reasonable modifications to its >
>>> rules,
>>>
>>>
>>> > policies, practices, and procedures for customers with disabilities in
>>>
>>>
>>> > violation of Title III of the ADA. Many of the complaints alleged that
>>>
>>>
>>> > persons with disabilities were denied access to Wal-Mart stores or were
>>>
>>>
>>> > denied an equal opportunity to shop, free of repeated challenges by
>>>
>>>
>>> > Wal-Mart staff, because they were accompanied by serice animals. >
>>> Service
>>>
>>>
>>> > animals are dogs and other animals that are individually trained to >
>>> work
>>>
>>>
>>> > or perform tasks for persons with disabilities.
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > The settlement agreement covers all facilities located in the United
>>>
>>>
>>> > States where Wal-Mart sells any good or service to members of the
>>>
>> public,
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > including all Wal-Mart stores, Supercenters, Sam's Clubs, and
>>>
>> Neighborhood
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > Markets. The settlement agreement, which will be effective for three
>>>
>>>
>>> > years, requires Wal-Mart to take several steps to improve access for
>>>
>>>
>>> > customers with disabilities, including:
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > * an undertaking by Wal-Mart not to discriminate in violation of Title
>>>
>>>
>>> > III of the ADA and to provide reasonable modifications to individuals
>>>
>>>
>>> > with disabilities as required by Title III of the ADA, such as
>>>
>>>
>>> > disability-related assistance such as helping customers in locating,
>>>
>>>
>>> > lifting, and carrying items;
>>>
>>>
>>> > * the adoption and implementation of an ADA-compliant policy of
>>>
>>>
>>> > welcoming persons with disabilities who use service animals into
>>>
>>>
>>> > Wal-Mart stores with little or no questioning and without repeated
>>>
>>>
>>> > challenges by Wal-Mart employees;
>>>
>>>
>>> > * training for all employees on Wal-Mart's obligations under Title III
>>>
>>>
>>> > of the ADA to make reasonable modifications for individuals with
>>>
>>>
>>> > disabilities and Wal-Mart's new ADA-compliant service animal policy;
>>>
>>>
>>> > * additional training for store management and People Greeters, since
>>>
>>>
>>> > employees in these positions have additional responsibilities under
>>>
>>>
>>> > Wal-Mart's new service animal policy;
>>>
>>>
>>> > * the posting of Wal-Mart's new service animal policy on its website
>>>
>>>
>>> > and in employee areas at its stores;
>>>
>>>
>>> > * the establishment of a grievance procedure in which Wal-Mart will
>>>
>>>
>>> > receive complaints alleging violations of Title III of the ADA at a
>>>
>>>
>>> > toll-free hotline, investigate such complaints, and take appropriate
>>>
>>>
>>> > corrective actions to resolve any noncompliance with Title III of the
>>>
>>>
>>> > ADA, including relief to complainants where appropriate;.
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > Under the settlement agreement, Wal-Mart will also pay $150,000 into a
>>>
>>>
>>> > fund to compensate certain individuals with disabilities who filed
>>>
>>>
>>> > administrative complaints with the Department alleging Wal-Mart's
>>>
>> refusal
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > to make reasonable modifications, including the denial of equal access
>>>
>> to
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > persons with disabilities who use service animals. The Civil Rights
>>>
>>>
>>> > Division will determine which complainants are to receive damages from
>>>
>> the
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > fund and the amount of damages to be received.
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > In furtherance of the public interest, Wal-Mart will also pay an
>>>
>>>
>>> > additional $100,000 into a fund that will be used by the Civil Rights
>>>
>>>
>>> > Division to finance a public service announcement campaign to increase
>>>
>>>
>>> > public awareness of the access rights of persons with disabilities who
>>>
>> use
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > service animals. The nature and scope of the public service >
>>> announcement
>>>
>>>
>>> > campaign will be determined by the Civil Rights Division.
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > The complete Settlement Agreement is available on the US Department of
>>>
>>>
>>> > Justice ADA Website at: http://www.ada.gov/walmart.htm#settlement
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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