[nagdu] The Justice Department today announced a Federal Court hasApproved.

[Marion Gwizdala]

    This just goes to show that even attorneys can be ignorant of the law! 
(grin)

Marion




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:57 PM
Subject: [nagdu] The Justice Department today announced a Federal Court 
hasApproved.


> WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department today announced a federal court has 
> approved a consent decree resolving an Americans with Disabilities Act 
> (ADA) discrimination
> lawsuit against attorney Patric LeHouillier and his law firm, LeHouillier 
> & Associates, P.C., based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The consent decree 
> was approved
> by Judge Marcia S. Krieger in U.S. District Court for the District of 
> Colorado.
>
> In its November 2009 complaint, the Justice Department alleged that 
> LeHouillier and his firm violated Title III of the ADA when they 
> unlawfully barred a woman, her husband and her attorney from entering 
> LeHouillier's law office for a deposition because the woman was 
> accompanied by her service animal, an Australian Shepherd dog. The woman, 
> who is a veterinarian, has a traumatic brain injury and other conditions 
> that affect mobility and balance, and individually trained her service 
> animal to provide disability-related assistance.
>
> Under the terms of the consent decree, LeHouillier and his firm will:
>
> List of 6 items
> . Adopt an ADA-compliant service animal policy and post the policy in a 
> conspicuous location;
> . Post a "Service Animals Welcome" sign;
> . Self-report allegations of discrimination to the department;
> . Undergo training and provide training to staff;
> . Pay $30,000 to the complainant and $10,000 to her husband as a person 
> associated with a person with a disability; and
> . Pay a $10,000 civil penalty.
> list end
>
> "For almost two decades, the ADA has ensured that individuals with 
> disabilities are guaranteed full and equal access to public 
> accommodations, both large
> and small," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil 
> Rights Division. "The Justice Department is unrelenting in eradicate 
> discrimination
> against people with disabilities and ensuring that owners and operators of 
> public accommodations recognize their obligations to provide equal 
> access."
>
> A service animal is any animal individually trained to work or perform 
> tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Service 
> animals - most
> commonly dogs - perform a wide variety of functions. Examples of these 
> functions include guiding persons who are blind or have low vision; 
> alerting individuals
> who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds; warning persons about impending 
> seizures or other medical conditions; performing a variety of tasks for 
> persons
> with psychiatric disabilities and picking up items, opening doors, 
> flipping switches, providing physical support and pulling wheelchairs for 
> individuals
> with mobility disabilities.
>
> More information about today's lawsuit, the ADA, rights and 
> responsibilities under the ADA relating to service animals, and 
> instructions on filing an ADA
> complaint with the Justice Department is available on the ADA home page at 
> www.ada.gov. This information includes two publications specifically 
> addressing
> service animal access: "ADA Business Brief: Service Animals" and "Commonly 
> Asked Questions About Service Animals in Places of Business."
>
> Those interested in obtaining copies of these documents or additional 
> information about the ADA can also call the Justice Department's toll-free 
> ADA Information
> Line (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Independent Travel Consultant
> http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/>
> 1-866-580-5574
>
> http://blog.echevarriatravel.com<http://blog.echevarriatravel.com/>
> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> CST-1018299-10
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