Hurricane Katrina and Rita Evacuees Settle Lawsuit With FEMA Over Accessibility of Trailers for People With Disabilities
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On September 26, 2006, the U.S. district court for the Eastern District of Louisiana approved the settlement of a class action suit filed against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees with disabilities. The named plaintiffs in the case all needed accessible trailers from FEMA but had received either an inaccessible trailer or no trailer at all. Among other claims, the plaintiffs alleged that FEMA had violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits federal agencies from discriminating based on disability. The plaintiffs were represented by the Advocacy Center in Louisiana, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in New York, the Mississippi Justice Center, the Public Interest Law Project in California, and Kirkland and Ellis LLP. The settlement ensures that FEMA will provide accessible trailers to Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees with disabilities. Additionally, FEMA has developed toll-free telephone numbers for evacuees who need accessible trailers (for evacuees from Louisiana, call 866-496-4297; for evacuees from Mississippi, call 888-294-2820). Cary LaCheen, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, says, We are pleased that FEMA has decided to meet its legal obligation to give evacuees with disabilities accessible temporary housing.