New Haven Medical Practice Reaches Settlement Over ADA Complaint

HAMDEN, CT — The owners and operators of medical practices in Hamden and New Haven have reached settlement agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office over ADA complaints, according to officials.

The settlement agreements resolve allegations that the facilities did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Acting U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Leonard C Boyle announced Tuesday. The complaints were filed by people with disabilities alleging that Family & Internal Medicine of Dixwell Avenue located at 2543 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, and a medical practice located at 666 George Street in New Haven, were not fully accessible for people with physical disabilities, according to Boyle.

The owners and operators of 2543 Dixwell Avenue and the owner of operator of 666 George Street are in the process of “making changes required by the settlement agreements, which include improving the accessibility of the locations’ entrances and access routes, adding accessible features to examination rooms and restrooms, and reducing barriers for patients to access check-in and check-out areas,” according to a news release.

“Under federal law, professional offices of health care providers and their landlords are considered ‘public accommodations’ and are prohibited from discriminating based on disability,” the news release states. “The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.”

Boyle noted that the owners of both facilities have “worked cooperatively and collaboratively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expeditiously address the ADA issues without litigation and to make comprehensive changes to each facility to improve accessibility.”

Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities or does not permit service animals may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.

Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.