The QT ADA Shakedown

[Conan71]

Hurry and you too can get your share of the $1.5mm the gov't shook down QT for.

QuikTrip addressing disability access issues

By KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Published: 7/19/2010  6:41 PM
Last Modified: 7/19/2010  6:41 PM

QuikTrip Corp. will pay $1.5 million and agree to a bevy of changes because its stores weren't sufficiently accessible to people with disabilities, according to a settlement between the company and the U.S. Department of Justice.
After an investigation into several QuikTrip locations, the Justice Department found that ramps were too steep, doors were too hard to open and gasoline pump handles were too difficult to squeeze, among other complaints.
An insufficient number of handicap-accessible parking spots were cited, and the stores were too difficult to enter and exit, according to the complaint.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit following an investigation alleging that QuikTrip stores violated the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination by businesses that are open to the public.
The lawsuit alleged that QuikTrip showed "a pattern or practice of discrimination" and "unlawful discrimination that raises an issue of general public importance."
"Convenience stores and gas stations are a critical part of everyday life in America, and these facilities must afford equal access to individuals with disabilities," said assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez.
The settlement affects all 550 QuikTrip stores, and changes must be made within three years.
"Over the last several years QuikTrip has worked diligently to identify and address many of the mutually agreed upon items in the decree," QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said in a written statement.
Thornbrugh declined to comment further on the settlement.
QuikTrip has hired an architectural firm to design the changes.
The investigation stemmed from a complaint by two Nebraska men, one of whom uses a wheelchair and another who has difficulty walking.
Among the terms of the settlement, QuikTrip must ensure that at least two fueling pumps are accessible to people with disabilities, train store employees, make sure doors can be opened and closed remotely, and design new stores to meet guidelines of the federal law.
The $1.5 million settlement will go to people who make claims against QuikTrip within the next 180 days.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20100719_298_0_QuikTr437552

[nathanm]

Ah, that explains the new ramp and handicapped spot at the QT across from TU.