<html class="apple-mail-supports-explicit-dark-mode"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Hello everyone,</div><div>Please see the below forwarded email. Also, you may want to take a look at the resolution that was passed at our 2026 convention.</div><div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Rachel Weisberg <rweisberg@dralegal.org><br><b>Date:</b> July 8, 2026 at 2:52:18\u202fPM CDT<br><b>To:</b> Rachel Weisberg <rweisberg@dralegal.org><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: Monitor Reports on Chicago\u2019s Compliance with Accessible Pedestrian Signal Court Order Outlining Successes and Areas of Concern</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;mso-fareast-language:JA">Hi all \u2013 Thought you\u2019d be interested in the following press release about the Independent Monitor\u2019s Report in the Chicago APS case.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><img width="227" height="77" style="width:2.368in;height:.8055in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/55a3cfb56ba18dbd54e85cd6/1783462495155/image_17641985431783462495068.png" alt="DRA logo" data-unique-identifier=""></span></b><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">For Immediate Release</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Contacts</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Rachel M. Weisberg, (332) 217-2363,
<a href="mailto:rweisberg@dralegal.org"><span style="color:#0563C1">rweisberg@dralegal.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Monitor Reports on Chicago\u2019s Compliance with Accessible Pedestrian Signal Court Order Outlining Successes and Areas of Concern</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Chicago, IL\u2014July 8, 2026\u2014</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">One year ago, a federal court ordered Chicago to install thousands of accessible pedestrian
signals (APS) over the next 10 years, resolving a years-long legal battle by blind and low vision pedestrians for safe and equitable streets. Last week, the court-appointed Independent Monitor issued his first annual report evaluating Chicago\u2019s implementation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Throughout the 93-page report, the Monitor documents the significant progress Chicago made during the first year of implementation. The City installed APS at 78 intersections\u2014eight more than
required during the first year. The City has also taken important steps to build the infrastructure needed for long-term success, including a
<a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.csRux8Q-2B9CIfacO6DnXzdtinXc21B-2BX7A2aZiyXpx03HqoWsgvI6CNfJ52c8k59NwfF9_le-2FBC1iEkHsSkKoj-2FaVDR-2FsE0l0o31UA5UEc3NUClKQKEJzmIgEwsR1Iv2DHx1WoPRTty8jSm3x96ctcYL2hCkQn-2BU1PIuBRMsxU7w2yjv-2Ba-2B9CayzGp-2B2R22dial8VtjcbJyVYiSyAmKOoHHducv7v-2FDVOyzPsYaUJoQmFP-2FMlj7xc5pectVuq-2BftT3a3VyGfC-2FxjvNTXavBGmHt1vKFVFWpcDYMuR-2BLNAtMyq5XL2PtKml1OrVGtqWKmb-2B0Ik9nwhbYBrrj-2BpjB0f5T-2FLHQzby6hnRQopF2scBW-2FHZL8SqQWT0uKRVsQ5Z1FigWBXxx4wxaihbHp6wVkIkEwkGJqVtJU6-2Bv-2BMdP4GWe1-2BZROkIPp5FX2Eo-2BPHvoZvBZUYo81i0VoZJYEX7X-2FG7PRYNfw-3D-3D">
<span style="color:#0563C1">public APS website</span></a> where community members can submit requests for APS installation and maintenance and track those requests, and a Community Advisory Committee, according to the report.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">At the same time, the report makes clear that significant work remains. The Monitor found that none of the 103 inspected intersections were fully compliant with technical APS requirements,
and that many devices had placement, functionality, maintenance, or accessibility deficiencies that must be corrected for APS to provide reliable, safe, and independent access for blind and low vision pedestrians.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cWe are encouraged by the City\u2019s early progress and grateful for the Independent Monitor\u2019s careful, transparent assessment,\u201d said Rachel M. Weisberg, Directing Attorney at Disability Rights
Advocates. \u201cYet the report underscores that installation alone is not enough. The City must ensure that APS also be properly installed, programmed, and maintained promptly.\u201d<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Monitor\u2019s report also recommends further improvements, including stronger documentation, clearer public reporting, additional training for City staff and contractors, prompt correction
of deficiencies, and continued coordination for technical compliance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.csRux8Q-2B9CIfacO6DnXzdhqx-2BXnhegsyumXbTVp523UApKbgMCs9AnILuSvloIx6JYsHFa1MM5rBPOmCbWZM-2FYBfgWJxWR1qVnTeoRMrVDxoIxTw-2BNGg1QmR9eES0XSRfMfLRRoYc6w9Fj3-2BnTK6kw-3D-3D-96W_le-2FBC1iEkHsSkKoj-2FaVDR-2FsE0l0o31UA5UEc3NUClKQKEJzmIgEwsR1Iv2DHx1WoPRTty8jSm3x96ctcYL2hCkQn-2BU1PIuBRMsxU7w2yjv-2Ba-2B9CayzGp-2B2R22dial8VtjcbJyVYiSyAmKOoHHducv7v-2FDVOyzPsYaUJoQmFP-2FMlj7xc5pectVuq-2BftT3a3VyGfC-2FxjvNTXavBGmHt1vKFVFWpcDYMuR-2BLNAtMyq5XL3L5KdU4saJbZf91VqQdk-2BOMek-2BKvu1Qd-2Fke34tEsjucrmLez6rRO5N7wCDC5mGniCfH0IfodZxGiqcb7Ye-2FBFJAp1nDZ4ZdmJQEx1ganTEP3jQATuxgatyRZbZe6gKNbHqI3QJJfz0RCHQDk4Pz-2BCxe9pM9TyWubxYbN7YbtrGzA-3D-3D"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Read
the Monitor\u2019s Report.</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cI am delighted that the city of Chicago has made such progress during this first year, and am looking forward to working on improvements that will make the accessible signal program even
better,\u201d said plaintiff Ann Brash.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">DRA and Proskauer Rose LLP filed this class action in 2019 on behalf of the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago and blind individual plaintiffs, challenging Chicago\u2019s failure
to provide meaningful access to pedestrian signal information for blind and low vision pedestrians. The U.S. Department of Justice later joined the case. In 2023, the Court held that Chicago violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Rehabilitation
Act, and in 2025 the Court entered a Remedial Plan requiring widespread APS installation, maintenance, prioritization, community engagement, and independent monitoring.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cThe Monitor\u2019s findings confirm why continuing oversight is essential,\u201d said Eddie Young, Senior Counsel at Proskauer. \u201cThe City has shown that progress is possible. The next phase must focus
on quality, consistency, transparency, and timely correction of problems so that APS installations deliver real-world access at every covered intersection. We will continue to monitor the City\u2019s progress to ensure compliance with every requirement of the Remedial
Order.\u201d<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.csRux8Q-2B9CIfacO6DnXzdt-2FKAAqtS3-2BzLd2ntJhYvaOSjvSb12D8h0uQCQhMn-2Flq5VHQsi7MENRIROXjJUFQGR3IJs98gPEmOKsQm3QDA7-2Fkrdd5WIA-2BpFj0E2FkI9SgJiFOp-2B0v0L4U4dOVE3ohKw-3D-3Dq462_le-2FBC1iEkHsSkKoj-2FaVDR-2FsE0l0o31UA5UEc3NUClKQKEJzmIgEwsR1Iv2DHx1WoPRTty8jSm3x96ctcYL2hCkQn-2BU1PIuBRMsxU7w2yjv-2Ba-2B9CayzGp-2B2R22dial8VtjcbJyVYiSyAmKOoHHducv7v-2FDVOyzPsYaUJoQmFP-2FMlj7xc5pectVuq-2BftT3a3VyGfC-2FxjvNTXavBGmHt1vKFVFWpcDYMuR-2BLNAtMyq5XL0V5mEdQ2Q7362izcfm696mkiBIV0LNr-2F3PVvagokSiy-2Bhod6TFl5pa1aS1A8iDiOmd1WMJcS6yNeMeqd83C20kWDV8RvCdigQicQvt9NM5p9rJolIPbjKu2yEfCAeinAIGP3C22HUdRUwDnPUu9zlnq3PQ4DGlDjq5uEQ9kxufXg-3D-3D"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Learn
more about this case</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">.
</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Disability Rights Advocates</span></u></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">: With offices in New York, California, and Chicago, Disability Rights Advocates is
the leading nonprofit disability rights legal center in the nation. Its mission is to advance equal rights and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities nationwide. DRA represents people with all types of disabilities in complex, system-changing,
class action cases. <span style="color:black;background:white">DRA is proud to have upheld the promise of the ADA since our inception. Thanks to DRA\u2019s precedent-setting work, people with disabilities across the country have dramatically improved access to
education, health care, employment, transportation, disaster preparedness planning, voting, and housing.
</span>For more information, visit <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.NW06FCRNmeXxKJ1cYYF3ng3AQ4OfsE-2B4SPXASY7fiGM-3D97Qu_le-2FBC1iEkHsSkKoj-2FaVDR-2FsE0l0o31UA5UEc3NUClKQKEJzmIgEwsR1Iv2DHx1WoPRTty8jSm3x96ctcYL2hCkQn-2BU1PIuBRMsxU7w2yjv-2Ba-2B9CayzGp-2B2R22dial8VtjcbJyVYiSyAmKOoHHducv7v-2FDVOyzPsYaUJoQmFP-2FMlj7xc5pectVuq-2BftT3a3VyGfC-2FxjvNTXavBGmHt1vKFVFWpcDYMuR-2BLNAtMyq5XL0E6zUswLmde6FCJeV35r07kBtZmqBRSkvgz0rfjduKjCFZAAUDNjgYwp2yocwxjrXi3-2BQuP-2FfUCpgfhQW7Q63uviZmudjNarrcH-2BqFm1tRhAZpuJRSU-2FMtkD7DyB2oWVwHYFaGsx6vSsZ5X5p2yAyN9wciNMdoNrxpwhCWs07OCw-3D-3D">
<span style="color:#0563C1">dralegal.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Proskauer:</span></u></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Proskauer is an elite global law firm with more than 900 lawyers in key financial centers in the United
States, Europe, South America, and Asia. Our clients include many of the world\u2019s leading businesses, including asset managers, banks, listed corporations, and private companies. We have deep expertise in several of the fastest-growing and dynamic segments
of the market, including sports, technology, life sciences, and health care. We represent hundreds of asset managers across a wide spectrum of sectors and strategies, including private equity, private credit, hedge, real assets, secondaries, and capital solutions.
For more information, visit <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.csRux8Q-2B9CIfacO6DnXzdk5IBeyUv7Xb6sTWdSnucVfPXqhjCWlBM9zDefUC98pt9ibs_le-2FBC1iEkHsSkKoj-2FaVDR-2FsE0l0o31UA5UEc3NUClKQKEJzmIgEwsR1Iv2DHx1WoPRTty8jSm3x96ctcYL2hCkQn-2BU1PIuBRMsxU7w2yjv-2Ba-2B9CayzGp-2B2R22dial8VtjcbJyVYiSyAmKOoHHducv7v-2FDVOyzPsYaUJoQmFP-2FMlj7xc5pectVuq-2BftT3a3VyGfC-2FxjvNTXavBGmHt1vKFVFWpcDYMuR-2BLNAtMyq5XL09byzzzlSo-2FK6nMVIvjfqsNWj5wuOgLoZBa8PlqUU8LazSCHVMtLnfazIeiUIxwgTdyVLMK-2FVJMJeP24Zv9y7QwsCAVcpgVbpcSrXNctSSpsbt6Ta403zTurOLVr-2FLN6JRsXexLIZiUl44neY3eI854obrEHKNfGjz67ExJqBKSA-3D-3D">
<span style="color:#0563C1">proskauer.com</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago (ABCMC)</span></u></strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">:</span></u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
The American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago is a nonprofit organization seeking to promote the independence and dignity of persons with visual impairments. A local chapter of the Illinois state affiliate of the American Council of the Blind,
the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago is one of Chicago\u2019s leading consumer organizations of and for people who are blind or low-vision.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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