Subway Will Comply with Americans with Disabilities Act

July 26 marked the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so it seems only fitting that the Department of Justice should come to a settlement agreement at just this time with Doctor Associated Inc., the parent corporation of Subway Sandwich Shops, which is responsible for issuing the Subway franchises.

The agreement states specific steps that Doctor Associated and the franchise owners must put into place at all the Subway Shops in the United States. Both the corporation and the individual franchise owners have their own responsibilities that must be met under the Americans with Disabilities Act at every one of the 20,000 Subway Shops across the country.

According to the agreement, the Subway Shops must be made physically accessible to all people with disabilities by removing any barriers that would restrict access to a disabled person, by making sure that people with disabilities have use of all the services available including restrooms.

Because the individual Subway shops are franchisees, and thereby individually owned business, the agreement is different than it would be with a corporation that would actually be the owner of the individual restaurants. It is expected and hoped that this agreement will be the benchmark by which other franchise operations will be judged and those who are not already in compliance will look to this agreement to guide them without the Department of Justice having to intervene.