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                            Corraling Us Out

A local disability group filed suit yesterday against Safeway
Inc., charging the supermarket chain with violating federal law
by using outside corrals at its Washington area stores that keep
shopping carts in but customers with wheelchairs out.

The metal railings are in place at half of the area Safeway
stores, according to the lawsuit, and many stores also do not
provide adequate parking spaces for people with disabilities.

The suit is the latest of more than a dozen filed against
Washington area businesses since the Americans with Disabilities
Act took effect tow years ago. Like many of the lawsuits, the one
against Safeway was brought by the Disability Rights Council of
Greater Washington, a year-old watchdog group.

Also this month, the group filed suit against Cineplex Odeon,
charging that the movie chain's area theaters fail to provide
listening devices that would make their movies accessible to
patrons with hearing impairments.

According to the law, all public facilities, from doctor's
offices to dry cleaners and hotel lobbies, must be accessible to
people with disabilities so long as the cost of any changes would
not impose an unreasonable financial burden.

A spokesman for Safeway said he was not aware the suit had been
filed, but reacted with surprise that the retailer would be
targeted for violating disability laws.

"Safeway has a pretty good record of making changes to
accommodate the disabled long before the [disabilities act] ever
came along," said John Deckard, Washington area public relations
manager for Safeway. "We're disappointed they would choose to
file a suit against us."

The suit was filed in US District Court for the District of
Columbia.

Most of the disability suits filed so far have been settled out
of court after the defendants agreed to make alterations
requested by the disabled. One of the largest settlements was
reached last month, when the owners of the Empire State Building
in New York agreed to make nearly $2 million in changes to comply
with the disabilities act.

[Disability Rights Group Sues Safeway, Liz Spayd, WP, 4/20/94]

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