Two local organizations have filed a lawsuit in federal court saying the Dayton Mall’s bus stop discriminates against people with disabilities.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, or ABLE, joined with Disability Rights Ohio in a suit filed Tuesday. They say the public RTA bus stop at the mall is unreasonably far from the mall’s main entrance, creating barriers for people with disabilities who work or shop at the mall.
Jason Boylan is an attorney for Disability Rights Ohio. He says the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was intended to prevent situations like this.
“[The ADA] prioritizes access for people with disabilities to get in the front door of places like malls, but if people with disabilities can’t even get to the front door, that right does them no good,” he said.
The groups say they’ve tried to work with the mall owner, Glimcher, as well as Macy’s, Sears, and Elder Beerman since April of this year to find a solution.
Macys and Sears declined to comment and Glimcher and Elder Beerman haven't responded to WYSO.
In the past, Glimcher has said that it has talked to the RTA about solutions for the bus stop location, but they were not able to agree on the details.
