Attorneys: Ahead of Hosting 2028 Olympics Paralympic Village, UCLA Failing to Provide Access; Disability Specific Emergency Evacuation Protocols and Planning.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 8, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA – Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise (Peiffer Wolf) and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) filed a lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California and others, alleging widespread accessibility barriers and discriminatory practices at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The plaintiffs, Jake Bertellotti and Taylor Carty, are disabled UCLA students who use wheelchairs and have experienced physical and policy barriers on UCLA’s campus, significantly impacting their ability to access and use academic buildings and classrooms, residential housing programs, shuttle services, and recreational facilities.
“In 2028, UCLA plans to host athletes from around the world for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. This complaint should serve as a loud wake-up call,” said Cat Cabalo, Partner at Peiffer Wolf. “Our clients have alleged a widespread, systemic failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. UCLA needs to get to work immediately to eliminate policy and physical access barriers, properly staff the teams who are tasked with working with disabled students, and create an environment that considers the needs of disabled people.”
“I was so excited to be accepted to UCLA, but there are accessibility problems everywhere, and it’s a challenge every single day,” said Bertellotti. “I’ve experienced everything from difficulties and inconveniences to significant physical discomfort and embarrassment. I have tried repeatedly to work with UCLA and its Center for Accessible Education since I became a student, but my attempts have been futile. Numerous barriers all over campus continue to prevent me from accessing my classes and my dormitory without extreme difficulty. UCLA has not addressed my concerns, and as a result, I do not feel safe on campus.”
The lawsuit also alleges that UCLA has failed to develop and implement emergency management plans that account for the needs of disabled students. Carty, who is a fire survivor, is concerned about her safety should an emergency arise at UCLA. Yet, her multiple requests for information about UCLA’s evacuation plan for disabled students, including the location of evacuation chairs, have been largely ignored.
“The human toll of the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, particularly the deaths of Anthony Mitchell Sr. and his son Justin, both wheelchair users who died while waiting for first responders, highlight the devastation that can result when people with disabilities are not accounted for in emergency evacuation plans,” said Carty. “Proactive measures – such as evacuation chairs and emergency protocols that integrate input from people of all abilities – are essential to ensuring every member of the UCLA community is protected in times of crisis. The safety of UCLA students should not be a privilege. It must be a guarantee.”
“The lack of consideration for the needs of disabled students at UCLA is shocking,” said Michelle Uzeta, Deputy Director at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund. “Telling a student who uses a wheelchair to just ‘lock your wheels and cover your head,’ during emergencies or asking them to create and communicate an evacuation plan on their own, is absurd and violates federal and state law.”
The complaint seeks widespread relief, including a campus-wide self-evaluation and transition plan to ensure its accessibility, development of emergency management plans that consider the needs of disabled students, and the expansion of UCLA’s Center for Accessible Education to better serve disabled students.
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Media Contacts
Max Karlin, (703) 276-3255 or mkarlin@hastingsgroupmedia.com
Tina Pinedo, DREDF Communications Director, (510) 225-7726 or media@dredf.org
About Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise
Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise is a national law firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Cleveland, Youngstown, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Detroit. Cat Cabalo is the founder and Chair of the firm’s Disability Rights practice group. Visit www.PeifferWolf.com for more information.
About Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Founded in 1979, DREDF works to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. Learn more at dredf.org.