Small Business ADA Compliance Support

At a glance

What: a joint report of the Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging, and Disability and Economic Development and Jobs Committees (Council File 26-0865) on a motion by Jurado and Nazarian to learn how many businesses are not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and how to help small businesses comply.
Where it stands: adopted by the City Council on 2026-10-21 by 11 ayes, 0 noes (Absent: Hernandez, Padilla, Raman and Soto-Martinez).
Next: reports back from the Chief Legislative Analyst and the City Attorney; no dates were set in the journal.

Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), with the Department of Disability, to report on the estimated number of non-compliant businesses, the common reasons, the most frequent causes of ADA lawsuits against small businesses, likely improvement costs, and which standards are usually the property owner's responsibility and which the operator's.
CLA, with the Department of Disability and the Mayor's Office of Business and Economic Development, to report on an outreach and education plan: workshops, resources for council offices, educational partnerships and proactive outreach.
CLA, with the Community Investment Department and others, to report on the feasibility of a micro-grant program to help small businesses meet ADA requirements.
The City Attorney is requested to report the total the City has paid in ADA settlements involving sidewalks in or next to non-residential areas since the Willits settlement.
Community impact statement: the Palms Neighborhood Council was in favor.

Item 4. Adopted, 11 ayes, 0 noes.