Lisa is a small business owner who thought she was in for an uphill battle. The city was about to install water lines on the street in front of her business, which would block the accessible pathway that Lisa, a wheelchair user, and her clients rely on. The pathway connects the accessible parking space on one side of the building to the accessible entrance on the other side.

A call to her regional ADA center led Lisa to an ADA Specialist who said she should contact the city’s ADA Coordinator and explain the situation. The ADA Specialist said that because the city is a covered entity under Title II of the ADA it has an obligation to ensure the accessible pathway remain open. Acting on the ADA Specialist’s advice, Lisa provided information to both the ADA Coordinator and the construction company on how critical the accessible pathway was to her business.

At first Lisa thought no one was going to listen but noticed that once construction began, the city left an accessible route for Lisa and her clients to use.  The head of the construction company even came out to meet Lisa, apologizing for the inconvenience. 

“Things dramatically changed!” Lisa said. “Without the information I received from the ADA Specialist, my clients and I may not have been able to access to my business.”