Griffin, et al. v. City of Los Angeles

On July 26, 2024—exactly 34 years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act—GBDH, along with Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP, and the Law Offices of Paula Pearlman filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Los Angeles for its failure to provide persons with mobility disabilities full and equal access to its parks and park facilities.  The case alleges that the City violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and California Government Code § 11135 by failing to ensure that its newly constructed and renovated park and park facilities are readily accessible to and usable by people with mobility disabilities.

The access barriers in the City’s parks and park facilities include non-existent entrance ramps, cracked and crumbled paths of travel, non-compliant bathroom facilities, and inaccessible playgrounds and play structures, among others.  Not only do these violations severely impact the ability of people with mobility disabilities to physically access parks and park facilities, they also deny them the numerous health benefits associated with park use, including improved cardiovascular health and reduced stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

The lawsuit asks for a court order requiring the City to bring its newly constructed or altered parks and park facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and California Government Code Section 11135.

The case is titled Griffin, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, Case No. 24-cv-06312 and is pending in the United States District Court, Central District of California.

Case Documents