[IL-Talk] Quads Gym Update

[Kelly Pierce]

Some may remember last fall when I attempted to become a member of the
world famous Quads Gym on north Broadway Street in Chicago, about a
mile from where I live.  The owner refused to sell me a membership
unless I brought a personal trainer or attendant at my expense to
accompany me at all times. He feared I would fall down the stairs or
crash into equipment because of my blindness, even though he knew
nothing about me or that I had been training in a gym two blocks away
for 10 years. Blindness leaders on this list suggested I contact Equip
for Equality for legal representation to resolve the dispute.  I did
and was very fortunate to be assigned Andrew Webb as my attorney.
Andrew understands blindness as he is a graduate of BLIND, Inc. in
Minneapolis like myself. He was graduated from Georgetown and like
Patti Gregory-Chang, the University of Chicago Law School, ranked as
the third best law school in America by US News and World Report.  We
are both members of Disability Lead, a group of leaders and
professionals with disabilities in the Chicago area. Andrew wrote a
letter to Quads that was perfect describing my legal rights and
remedies for them to correct the problem. After some back and forth
and two different attorneys from Quads later, I am now a member of
Quads Gym. I have performed two workouts already. In addition to
granting me a membership, the gym has adopted a comprehensive
disability accommodations policy that will apply to anyone else in the
future.

I very much appreciate the recommendation here of advocacy from Equip
for Equality. Andrew fostered a positive environment of disability
acceptance and inclusion that educated Quads both on the legal rights
of people with disabilities and my capacities as a powerlifter who has
competed in several mainstream competitions as a blind person.  The
result was not just a membership at Quads but a staff that has
welcomed me, been extremely positive, showed me around, and has
offered multiple demonstrations of various kinds of equipment.
Andrew’s positivity and legal talent has been transferred to the staff
and even the attorney representing Quads, who are all now both glad to
have me as a member. Private attorneys are hungry for ADA cases.
Attitudinal barrier cases like mine that do not require substantial
modifications to physical items like websites or services do not fare
well when lawyers immediately jump into court with a lawsuit I am
told. That’s because the other side hires a litigation lawyer and
quickly drops the policy that arose from the dispute. They are left
with a hefty legal bill as they work to dismiss the case and declare
it moot. Meanwhile, they are often angry, hostile and nasty from being
dragged through the legal ringer before any engagement from disability
advocates to understand the law and the issues involved.

Thanks everyone for your support, Equip for Equality for taking on the
case, and Andrew for his passion, persistence, and awesome legal
talent.

Kelly