Disability Law becomes Profit Center for Some

A quarter-century ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act required businesses to provide access to patrons in wheelchairs, including accessible parking spaces, curb cuts and ramps. The law left it to individuals to enforce the law. That provision turned the ADA into a cottage industry for lawyers who recruit clients from independent living facilities or disability rights groups and file lawsuits by the thousands against businesses with bathroom mirrors too high or ramps too steep – ultimately settling for several thousand dollars per case. One Texas man alone, represented by an Austin law firm, has filed more than 300 suits over the past 18 months, according to court records.