The Associated Press//September 8, 2022//
PORTLAND 鈥 Disabled residents of Portland are suing the city, alleging officials aren鈥檛 keeping public sidewalks accessible.
The class action lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, accuses the city of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, Oregon Public Broadcasting聽reported.
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires accessible sidewalks. The suit names 10 plaintiffs, most of whom use a wheelchair, a cane or a walker and say they must go out of their way to navigate around tents.
In a news conference Wednesday near City Hall, some of the plaintiffs spoke of problems encountered using Portland streets as tents have gone up to shelter people experiencing homelessness.
Steve Jackson, 47, who is blind, said he often accidentally steps on people. Barbara Jacobsen, a 62-year-old who uses an electric wheelchair, said she frequently must enter a street with traffic to avoid tents.
鈥淭he city has abandoned us and the homeless,鈥 Jacobsen said.
A city spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. The city does not usually comment on ongoing litigation.
Plaintiffs want a judge to order the city to clear sidewalks of tents and provide emergency shelters for everyone displaced as a result. The lawsuit also asks a judge to include all Portland residents with mobility disabilities and their caretakers as plaintiffs.