MCIL News Release Archive
				National ADAPT
				M C I L
				Tennessee ADAPT
				Not Dead Yet!
				B F M S

July 27, 1998

Contact: Dawn Russell
(901) 726-6404

(MEMPHIS, July 27) Greyhound Bus Lines settled a complaint today that alleged a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Dawn Russell of Memphis ADAPT.

The complaint filed seven months ago in Federal Court was brought pro se. Dawn Russell, who is not an attorney, filed, litigated, and negotiated the settlement asking that Greyhound put lifts on over-the-road buses.

As part of the settlement, Greyhound's attorneys arranged a conference between Ms. Russell and Greyhound senior officials concerning lifts on buses. Greyhound, furthermore, agreed to donate $5000 to ADAPT, the civil rights organization for people with disabilities that paid the filing fee for Ms. Russell.

"It is time people with disabilities spoke up," said Dawn Russell, "they violated my rights, so I took them to court."

The complaint claimed that Greyhound staff were not adequately or properly trained and did not "provide assistance as needed." Since the 1990 passage of the ADA, Greyhound has delayed needed regulations to require lifts on buses, assuming instead "interim regulations" to direct service to people with disabilities. Final Department of Transportation regulations concerning ADA compliance of over-the-road buses are scheduled for Sept. 15.

Stephanie Thomas:
National ADAPT (512) 442-0252

Victoria Holladay and Renee Levay
of WYATT, TARRANT & COMBS
Attorneys for Greyhound (901) 537-1000

Chronology of Dawn Russell v. Greyhound Bus Lines

The Memphis Center for Independent Living
1633 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6404 v/tty (901) 726-6521 fax
mcil@mcil.org 

MCIL is a United Way of the Mid-South member Agency

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