Case: University of California San Francisco Medical Center Settlement Agreement

A dispute arose between August Longo, a disability rights activist, and the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, as to whether UCSF provided him and other persons with disabilities sufficient access to the premises, patient care facilities, equipment, programs, and services of UCSF Medical Center as required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. § 12132, et seq. and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq.

On May 18, 2001, the parties entered a settlement agreement, through an out-of-court structured negotiations process. In this agreement, the Medical Center agreed to implement a comprehensive program improving accessibility for disabled patients. It began a review of its facilities, policies, and procedures, agreeing to make accessibility modifications where needed, and agreeing to develop a five-year plan to accomplish these modifications. The Medical Center agreed to evaluate the availability of accessible medical equipment in patient care facilities, its patient registration systems, and its policies for effectively communicating with patients and visitors who are blind and who have other disabilities. The Medical Center also modified its in-patient bathrooms to make them wheelchair accessible.

To aid it in complying with the settlement, the Medical Center agreed to appoint by March 15, 2008, an internal ADA access oversight body, the UCSF Internal Oversight Committee, to act as liaison between the parties, and to monitor and report on the Medical Center's progress. The Medical Center also hired the Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions, a group of experts in the effective delivery of health and medical services to people with disabilities.

The settlement contained terms relating to attorneys' fees and compensation for the claimant, and a release and waiver, which were not disclosed to the public. The Medical Center did not admit liability under the ADA or to any wrongdoing.