Apple Settles Store Accessibility Suit

Apple has reached an agreement with two California women that filed a suit against the company over claims that the San Francisco Apple Store is not properly wheelchair accessible. The Mac and iPhone maker agreed to a long list of store changes, undisclosed damages, and denied any liability for the claims.

As part of the agreement, Apple plans to make several changes to its San Francisco store like adding braille signs, rearranging the theater seating to better accommodate wheelchairs, and providing employee training on handicap accessibility.

Nicole Brown-Booker and Jana Overbo filed their lawsuit against Apple in August 2007 after visiting the company's San Francisco store. Ms. Brown-Booker she couldn't reach the elevator buttons, the aisles were too narrow to move her wheelchair through, and the credit card reader at the cash register was out of her reach. According to Ms. Overbo, she signed up for a Genius Bar appointment but was unable to get the attention of employees behind the bar, and that the lower wheelchair-accessible part of the counter was being used to display a computer.

The suit also stated that computers, iPods and iPhones were placed too high for shoppers in wheelchairs to access.

Apple's agreement to make changes applies only to its San Francisco location, but the company also plans to offer additional accessibility training to all of its retail employees.

[Thanks to ifoAppleStore for the heads up]