For Immediate Release
12/03/2020
Contact: David Card
202.408.9514 x122
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) applauds the agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Amtrak to resolve DOJ’s findings of disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The agreement reached underscores the fact that Amtrak has engaged in disability discrimination by failing to make its stations accessible in violation of the ADA. Per the agreement, Amtrak will bring its inaccessible stations into compliance with the law while offering assistance to people negatively impacted through the establishment of a victim’s compensation fund.
Amtrak was given twenty years after the ADA was passed in 1990 to make stations accessible, but by 2010 had failed to make progress. Over the past ten years, Amtrak has met regularly with the disability community including NDRN to report on their progress toward making its stations accessible.
“We are grateful for the progress Amtrak has made but our hope is that this agreement will better ensure that Amtrak quickly meets its obligations under the law. Americans with disabilities deserve an accessible transportation system,” said Curt Decker, executive director of NDRN.
NDRN has long advocated for accessibility of rail transportation for a number of years, including issuing a report in 2013 on the failure of Amtrak to be accessible for people with disabilities. Together, the report and the DOJ agreement further illustrate that much is left to be done around the country to ensure people with disabilities can access Amtrak services.
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The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
