WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Justice has announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Doctor Associates Inc. (DAI), the privately held corporation that franchises Subway sandwich shops throughout the United States.
The agreement, which sets out steps to make Subway shops physically accessible to people with disabilities, affects more than 20,000 Subway franchises.
The settlement focuses on barrier removal for people with disabilities; use of the services offered by shops; and whenever readily achievable, access to restroom facilities in the Subway shops.
The agreement recognizes that DAI will facilitate efforts to ensure compliance, while individual Subway shops will be responsible for removing barriers to access. In particular, DAI will conduct the initial architectural surveys to identify barriers; provide guidance on the ADA requirements and the steps each shop must take to address violations; revise its operations manual to reflect that shops are required to conduct evaluations and remove barriers, and that penalties may be imposed if they do not comply; provide interest-free loans to its individual stores for the purpose of ensuring accessibility; and use its best efforts to locate accessible buildings in its site selection for future Subway shops.
