Justice Department Secures Agreement with City of Virginia Beach to Improve Access for Individuals with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to ensure that individuals with disabilities, including Veterans, have equal access to city buildings and other civic programs. The agreement is part of the department’s commitment to ensure that civic institutions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Virginia Beach has a large population of Veterans, active-duty military service members, retirees and their families.

“The ADA mandates equal access to civic life for people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that cities and other public entities eliminate physical, communication and other barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in community life. We commend Virginia Beach for its commitment to work with the Civil Rights Division to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities, including Veterans.”

“Ensuring that individuals who have disabilities are afforded equal access to local government programs and services is required by the ADA and a high priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We are pleased that the City of Virginia Beach has agreed to take numerous steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities, including Veterans, have equal access to vital public services, including emergency services and the City’s website.”

Under the agreement announced today, Virginia Beach will remove accessibility barriers to buildings such as police stations, libraries, technology centers, community centers and places of recreation. The agreement requires Virginia Beach to ensure that parking, routes into buildings, entrances, restrooms, signage, service counters and drinking fountains are accessible to people with disabilities, and that assembly areas, such as the Giant Screen Theater at the Aquarium, provide the required wheelchair and companion seating. The agreement also requires Virginia Beach to ensure effective communication for individuals with hearing and vision disabilities through methods such as sign language interpreters, real-time transcription services, Braille or large print documents and accessible electronic formats. The city will also provide access to emergency shelters, provide accessible websites, train employees on the requirements of the ADA, make sidewalks and curb cuts accessible and appoint an ADA coordinator.

The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. If you believe you’ve been discriminated against, you may file a complaint online at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.