Parent urges Nashville‑style solutions after accessibility problems at local restaurants

Dustin Chandler, a Birmingham parent and advocate for special‑needs families, told the City Council that two recent incidents at local businesses exposed gaps in staff training and physical accessibility and urged the city to step up education for restaurants, hotels and public accommodations.

Chandler described a family forced to wait more than an hour at the Cheesecake Factory because staff said the restaurant had "only one table" for a child in a wheelchair, and he recounted struggling to reach an Avondale Brewery patio entrance because staff did not know about an accessible side entrance. "There is a breakdown either in communication or training," Chandler told the council and said he and other families would volunteer to work with the ADA compliance office to survey businesses and create an initial questionnaire for accessibility checks.

Council members and the mayor responded with offers to follow up. Councilors said the city already has an ADA compliance office and suggested staff coordinate with the Division of Youth Services, YMCA and Birmingham City Schools to amplify outreach. The mayor asked Chandler to provide contact information so staff could follow up; Assistant/Staff and ADA Officer Linda Coleman was identified as the staff point of contact.

Several councilors emphasized the value of a cooperative, non‑litigious approach to improving accessibility; one noted that some groups pursue compliance through lawsuits while others prefer education and assistance. The council suggested that permitting and new‑business processes could incorporate an accessibility review and that city staff and partner organizations should help identify gaps in service for mobility, hearing and sight disabilities.

Councilors agreed to take Chandler's packet and questionnaire under advisement and asked staff to work with him and the ADA compliance office to create training and outreach to reduce similar incidents going forward.