Bars and restaurants can be sued for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if they fail to provide access and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Some common reasons bars and restaurants are sued for ADA violations include:
- Inaccessible entrances: Bars and restaurants must have accessible entrances for individuals with disabilities, which includes ramps, elevators, and automatic door openers.
- Inaccessible restrooms: Bars and restaurants must have accessible restrooms for individuals with disabilities, which includes stall dimensions, grab bars, and wheelchair accessibility.
- Inaccessible seating: Bars and restaurants must have accessible seating options for individuals with disabilities, which includes tables with knee space, accessible routes to tables, and wheelchair accessible seating.
- Inaccessible bar areas: Bars and restaurants must have accessible bar areas for individuals with disabilities, which includes lowered bar counters, accessible routes to the bar, and accessible seating at the bar.
- Inaccessible menus: Bars and restaurants must have accessible menus for individuals with visual impairments, which includes braille menus or menus that can be read with assistive technology.
- Lack of accommodation for service animals: Bars and restaurants must allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities into their establishment, and must make reasonable accommodations to allow the service animal to accompany the individual to their table or seat.
- Failure to provide auxiliary aids and services: Bars and restaurants must provide auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters or assistive listening devices, to individuals with disabilities to ensure effective communication.
It’s important for bars and restaurants to ensure that their facilities and services are accessible to individuals with disabilities to avoid potential lawsuits and to provide equal access and opportunities to all customers.