Access
A door you can't open is a rule against you
Public offices and most businesses must make room for people with disabilities: a way in, forms you can read, an interpreter when you need one. When they don't, we can ask them to fix it and ask a court if they won't.
Most of these cases end with a change: a ramp built, a form redone, a policy rewritten. Where you were harmed along the way, we'll talk about that too.
Where access breaks down
Four kinds of barrier we see most.
A building you can't enter
No ramp, a door too heavy to open, a counter you can't reach, or an elevator that's always out.
A program that won't adjust
A city service, class or benefit that refuses a reasonable change to how it works.
Information you can't use
Forms, notices and websites with no large print, no screen-reader support and no captions.
Communication left out
No interpreter or captioning at a hearing, an appointment or a public meeting.
Before you write to us
- Write down where it is, what you couldn't do and who you asked.
- Keep any answer you were given, even a verbal one, with the date.
- Take photos of the barrier if it's safe to.
- Tell us what change would solve it for you.
Questions about access cases
Do I have to ask for the change first?
It usually helps, and we can ask for you. Tell us who you asked and what they said.
Can I get money, or only a fix?
In many cases the law gives you a fix and your costs, and money only in some. We'll tell you what applies to yours.
What if the building is old?
Age doesn't excuse a barrier on its own. The rules ask what's reasonable to change, and we'll look at what's reasonable here.
Show us what's in the way
A phone photo and a few lines are enough to start.