CONCORD – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire recently entered into an agreement with Mountain Sports, LLC, to ensure that all Eastern Mountain Sports stores are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
Mountain Sports, doing business as Eastern Mountain Sports, operates over twenty retail stores throughout the United States, seven of which are in New Hampshire. The United States conducted an investigation after receiving a complaint about disability access to the stores.
Mountain Sports has agreed to implement a nationwide policy that will prevent its employees from placing items such as merchandise, shopping carts, or boxes, in its stores’ aisles or pathways. Mountain Sports has also agreed to provide training to its employees to ensure that they are compliant with this policy.
U.S. Attorney Young said, “This agreement ensures that people with disabilities will have an equal opportunity to enjoy the same retail shopping experience other patrons enjoy. I applaud the company for its commitment to making its stores accessible. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the rights of those with disabilities.”
The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by public accommodations, such as retail stores. Public accommodations must allow people with disabilities the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, and facilities.
More information regarding maintaining accessible features in retail establishments may be found at www.ada.gov/business/retail_access.htm. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (603) 225-2552.
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz.
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