Help for People with Disabilities

“I have difficulty getting into and out of the building due to the fact that there are no handrails. Can I ask my landlord to install handrails?”

Yes!  Call Central Astoria and we will help you get what you need.  There is a law on the books that says that it is your right to have what is called a reasonable accommodation.  The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992 (ADA) was enacted so that people with disabilities get what they need.  In NYC, the NYC Commission On Human Rights enforces that law.

The NYC Human Rights Law protects the rights of people with disabilities by requiring that landlords, condominiums and co-ops “reasonably accommodate” the needs of disabled tenants, owners and shareholders.  Reasonable accommodations can be structural, such as a ramp at the main entrance to provide wheelchair access, or installing grab bars in the bathroom.  They can also involve policy or rule changes, such as permitting a tenant who is blind or has a psychological disability to have a guide dog or a companion animal, despite a building’s “no pet” policy.  The Law provides guidance in assessing requests for a reasonable accommodation, taking into account the nature and cost of the proposed accommodation and the financial resources of the landlord.

The NYC Human Rights Law also requires the housing provider to pay for an accommodation if it is deemed to be reasonable.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation, you should inform the housing provider and identify the type of accommodation you need.  You may have to give the landlord a note from your doctor or other health care professional stating that you have a disability and describing the functional limitations that your disability imposes.  You are not required to give your landlord medical records, your doctor can write a letter describing your disability.

For more information please contact Central Astoria LDC at 718-204-1056.