SEATTLE — The University of Washington has agreed to improve its parking access for people with mobility impairments in response to a federal lawsuit.
Three individuals who use wheelchairs — Erik Twede of Burlington, Barry Long of Woodinville and Olivia Williams of Normandy Park — sued the university in 2016, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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They said there were inadequate parking spaces wide enough to accommodate vans modified with ramps; some slopes were hazardous; and that some curb cuts could case wheelchairs to tip over.
Under a settlement approved by a federal judge in Seattle this week, the university agreed to fix 77 parking facilities, to pay each plaintiff $5,000, to pay the plaintiffs' legal fees, and to pay more than $200,000 for experts hired in the case.
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Darrell Cochran, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the university will make the fixes over the next 15 years, including structural changes at some of the parking facilities.
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