Nicole Brown-Booker sued Oakland over its busted sidewalks - and won

"Nicole Brown-Booker, an Oakland resident and disability advocate, has long used a wheelchair to navigate Oakland's potholes and ragged sidewalks. And she has long believed that she has the same right to travel safely in Oakland as any able-bodied person. But the city's poorly managed sidewalks, which often jut from the ground, pushed up by tree roots, or break into jagged pieces thanks to temperature changes and earthquakes, have made it nearly impossible for the 59-year-old to get around."

"In that lawsuit, Curran v. City of Oakland, Brown and a second plaintiff, Michael Curran, another Oakland resident, claimed that the city had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by keeping its sidewalks in "a condition not suitable or sufficient for use." The pair officially filed the suit in May 2023 as a class-action case that has attracted the attention of disability advocates across the country."

"Last summer, the suit reached an incredible conclusion, with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announcing a settlement in which the city committed to fixing 11,000 curb cuts over 15 years and 78,000 problem sidewalks and the remainder of the city's curb cuts over 25 years. Brown-Booker spoke with The Oaklandside about the landmark legal settlement, and what her daily life looks like - living and traveling in Oakland. The following conversation was edited for length and clarity."

Nicole Brown-Booker, a 59-year-old Oakland resident who uses a wheelchair, encounters sidewalks jutted by tree roots and broken by temperature changes and earthquakes, making navigation nearly impossible. Brown-Booker and co-plaintiff Michael Curran filed Curran v. City of Oakland in May 2023 as a class-action alleging Americans with Disabilities Act violations because sidewalks were in a condition not suitable or sufficient for use. A settlement announced by Mayor Barbara Lee commits the city to repairing 11,000 curb cuts over 15 years, 78,000 problem sidewalks, and remaining curb cuts over 25 years. Brown-Booker directs the Disability Inclusion Fund at the Borealis Foundation.

Read at The Oaklandside