Acupuncture practice agrees to make business more accessible to comply with ADA

A West Hartford acupuncture practice accused of failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act has agreed to make its business more accessible to people with disabilities.

West Hartford Acupuncture, located at 173 Oakwood Ave. in West Hartford, has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States under the ADA, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Tuesday.

A complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice claimed that the West Hartford business was not accessible to people with mobility disabilities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

West Hartford Acupuncture has three years to make changes to its building, including making the entrance accessible to people with mobility disabilities, making its parking Ada-compliant, improving signage and increasing accessibility inside the building. The business must also submit certifications to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months until it has fully complied with the agreement.

West Hartford Acupuncture also agreed to provide ADA training for its staff, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“It is critically important that health care services are accessible to all in our community,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a statement. “I applaud the operators of West Hartford Acupuncture for agreeing to make their services more accessible to persons with disabilities, without litigation.”

According to federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including health care providers and hospitals, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability.

Anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation in Connecticut is not accessible to people with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.