Shortly after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington was established to educate the public and enforce the new protections. One of the Council’s most significant victories came in the case of Disability Rights Council v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Council and thirteen named plaintiffs sued WMATA alleging violations of the ADA and other civil rights laws; specifically citing failures to provide adequate paratransit services through the MetroAccess program on par with the Metrorail and Metrobus services available to people without disabilities. A settlement reached in 2008 required WMATA to improve its service, adhere to specific performance standards, and monetarily compensate named plaintiffs.
Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington
