I recently came across an article in The New York Post that highlighted 31 year old Zoltan Hirsch, a double-amputee and wheelchair-user from Brooklyn, who’s a bit of a celebrity, known for filing lawsuits against establishments in NYC that aren’t accessible and fail to meet ADA guidelines. And considering that he’s in NYC, a place where it’s easy for a lot of establishments to slip through the cracks, he has his work cut out for him. And not surprisingly – he’s pissing off a lot of stodgy business-owners.
The article in The New York Post asks the question if Hirsch is a crusader or a con man, questioning if he’s making any personal profit from these lawsuits and if what he‘s doing is ethical. According to the article, Hirsch asks for $500 in damages for every lawsuit he files, as well as full coverage of attorney fees. To date, he has filed 87 lawsuits, with noteworthy businesses including a Dunkin’ Donuts in Brooklyn, a Luis Vuitton Store in SoHo, and a strip-club called Lace, City Crab Restaurant, and a pedicure spa called Red & White Spa.
The annoying thing about the NY Post article is that they point out he has no feet (so why sue the spa?), and then they point out he’s Kosher, so why sue City Crab, a place he would never eat at in the first place? I find this line of reasoning infuriating. That is not the point of Hirsch’s lawsuits, and anyone with a disability would understand that. Hirsch, it seems, is one of the few brave souls in New York willing to take on a mammoth city full of businesses owners who we can safely assume scoff at the ADA.
Is anyone else trying to make a dent in a city with ADA violations left and right?
Sometimes it takes a so-called “jerk” like Hirsch for changes to happen. If he never sued these places, do you think they’d be willing make their establishment accessible? Clearly the answer is no, because if that were willing, the lawsuit wouldn’t have been needed in the first place.
The question here is if you believe public establishments should adhere to the ADA, even in NYC. I wonder why so many businesses in NYC think the ADA doesn’t apply to them?
Photo courtesy of Seth Werkheiser
BRAVO, Zoltan Hirsch is my NEW YORKER OF THE YEAR. This city which should LEAD, is a disgrace when it comes to accessibility (transportation, shopping, walking, etc.). Wish there were an army of Zoltans.
What also is a serious head-scrathcher are the newly opened bars/restaurants in NYC that have inaccessible entrances, yet their bathrooms are 100% wheelchair accessible. Why? If they’re half ADA compliant, they get a passing grade?