A Bay Area blind woman asked for no damages when she sued for discrimination. But the county that let her legal saga drag on for five years is now settling for $1.2 million

"Lisamaria Martinez was willing to resolve this case five years ago for no damages, minimal legal fees and the County of Alameda agreeing to change its policy,"

"Instead of following express federal guidance, the county dug its heels in on a nonsensical interpretation of the law and fought this case for five years."

"Her experience was time-wasting, frustrating, dehumanizing, and unnecessary. She would not have suffered it, had the ACC provided her with auxiliary aids and services as legally required,"

In 2019 Lisamaria Martinez, a blind Union City resident, requested help at the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's office to complete a fictitious business name form and said she could not fill out the paper form herself. CRO staff and managers refused assistance, saying only the business owner could complete the legal paperwork, and Martinez left after more than 90 minutes. Martinez sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires reasonable accommodations such as staff reading or writing official forms for blind individuals. After prolonged litigation, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.2 million settlement to Martinez.

Read at The Mercury News