[nagdu] Enforcement

[Ron Davidson]

I found out recently that the ADA laws are not the easiest to get enforced. I was denied access to a local restraint with my guide dog and as I was taught in school did not force my way in.  I explained the law to the management and they still refused. They changed their mind after I asked them to call the police to have me removed and they refused to do this so I called the police and filed a complaint or report. When I got home I filled out a complaint form with the DOJ and also with the state attorney generals office  because I received a email from DOJ saying to do so. The state attorneys generals office emailed me and told me they couldn't enforce the federal law and to contact my local City ADA compliance office they sent me to the district attorneys office and they sent me to the Human Rights Commission. Then I received a letter from a law office that worked as mediators and we set up and met with the restraint owners and worked out a settlement. The restraint then broke the contract of settlement with me and I recontacted the mediators office and they said there was nothing more they could do. I contacted the DOJ and they said the only thing I could do was privately sue the restraint and the state has limitations on the amount I could receive and may not be enough to cover my legal fees. Is this normally how this works a big run around just to be dumped on. I think if we give local agencies the power to enforce the ada laws that would help maybe I am wrong. By the way the terms of the contract was that I and someone from the local low vision center would train all their employees on how to deal with as far as sight guiding and waiting on us and other things helpful for them to know just some educating of the public and the management thought that was a great idea.  But he never had a intensions of sticking to the terms of the contract.