Washington advisory committee urges earmarked ADA funding, new state ADA office

Alexis Harris, the former chair of the Washington State Advisory Committee and a sociology professor at the University of Washington, told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Jan. 16 that physical access remains uneven across Washington state and that localities are not consistently meeting ADA standards.

Harris described a 2017 settlement in Reynoldson et al. v. City of Seattle that required the city to build or repair 1,250 curb ramps a year for 18 years (about 22,500 total) and to investigate curb ramp requests within 30 days and remedy them within 12 months. "Even though the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act have been in existence for decades, localities are not fully complying with accessibility standards in public areas," Harris said.

The committee’s report, completed and voted upon in March 2024, lists multiple problems: inconsistent accessibility across counties, a lack of dedicated funding to meet ADA compliance standards, enforcement that relies heavily on individual lawsuits and complaints, siloed federal and state enforcement that confuses complainants, limited public knowledge of ADA mandates, and inadequate professional training among those responsible for compliance.

As remedies, Harris urged two policy tracks. First, the committee recommends that the Commission advocate for earmarked federal funds or grant programs specifically for ADA projects to help jurisdictions and businesses — including rural communities — make sidewalks, curb ramps and public-transportation vehicles accessible. Second, the committee recommended that the Washington State Legislature create a dedicated agency or office to coordinate ADA compliance, provide accountability, offer education and case management for complainants, and create a business certification for ADA compliance to reduce future litigation.

Commissioners praised the report’s findings and urged the commission staff to help ensure the committee’s recommendations reach relevant local policymakers. Commissioner Glenn Moponta asked that the findings be transmitted to city officials in Seattle and other policy makers; Harris said she would check with former committee members about distribution. Chair Rochelle Garza said the commission would work with staff to "uplift these recommendations."

The committee highlighted transportation as an acute example of funding and compliance challenges; Harris said transportation issues were discussed extensively and cited testimony from Disability Rights Washington about problem areas in certain neighborhoods. The report emphasizes community engagement and partnering with people who have disabilities when designing or updating public infrastructure.

The commission received the presentation during its first business meeting after a prolonged government shutdown and announced it will consider the committee’s recommendations as part of its ongoing enforcement and advisory work.

The commission did not take formal action on the report during the meeting; commissioners discussed dissemination and follow-up steps.