CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A federal judge in Chicago has found the City in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) over a lack of accessible traffic signals.
In 2021, the federal Department of Justice intervened in a discrimination filed by people with visual disabilities. The suits claimed that, since at least 2006, Chicago has recognized the need to install accessible traffic signals for pedestrians with visual disabilities.
Despite that recognition, plaintiffs said that while the City has traffic signals with flashing “Walk” and “Don’t walk” signs at nearly 2,800 intersections, fewer than 1% of them are accessible — with audible tones, voice messages, or what’s called “vibro-tactile surfaces.”
District Judge Elaine Bucklo sided with the DOJ and the plaintiffs.
Bucklo said the City has failed to provide meaningful access to its network of existing facilities and failed to ensure that newly constructed signals are accessible to blind individuals.
“Federal law offers people with visual disabilities the promise of full participation in community life, and safely navigating city streets is a critical part of that,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Justice department officials said they look forward to working with the City to remedy the situation.
Asked for a response, a Chicago law department spokeswoman said: “The City does not comment on ongoing litigation.”
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