Potbelly to improve accessibility to settle ADA suitPotbelly to improve accessibility to settle ADA suit

CHICAGO Quick-service chain Potbelly Sandwich Works has settled a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act by agreeing to lower the height of its ordering stations to make them more accessible to people in wheelchairs.

Privately owned Potbelly, which operates 170 restaurants in 11 states, will retrofit the stations in existing restaurants, as well as build them at a lower height in new units, according to the agreement. The company also agreed to make at least 5 percent of its seating wheelchair-accessible and to make a donation to the Equal Rights Center, which was one of the plaintiffs.

Other plaintiffs were Rosemary Ciotti and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. The ERC lauded Potbelly for setting a good example for removing barriers to people with disabilities. The new ordering station configuration is aimed at making it easier for people in wheelchairs to see the menu board and to talk to the order takers, according to an ERC statement.