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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The nation's second largest rental car company will provide accessible airport shuttle buses at all of its airport locations across the country, under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department.

The out-of-court agreement resolves a complaint filed by a traveler who uses a wheelchair alleging that Avis Rent A Car, Inc., violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not providing access to the shuttle system that operated between the terminal at the Detroit Metro Airport and its offsite rental car facilities. The agreement requires Avis to ensure that each of its 36 shuttle systems has at least one wheelchair accessible vehicle by December 2000. During negotiations, Avis agreed to expand the settlement to cover all of its airport shuttle systems, not just the one at Detroit Metro.

"As the summer travel season begins this Memorial Day weekend, airline travelers who use wheelchairs will be able to go from the airport terminal to their rental cars as easily as other customers," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "This is a model agreement and Avis should be highly commended for its cooperation and, more significantly, its desire to provide the best possible service to its customers with disabilities."

Under title III of the ADA, businesses that operate shuttle systems on a "fixed route", like Avis, are required to ensure that any newly acquired or leased vehicles that are large enough to carry

Under today's agreement, Avis will:

• bring its 36 corporately-operated shuttle systems into compliance with the ADA's strictest standards for shuttle systems by December 31, 2000;

• ensure that each of its shuttle systems has at least one wheelchair accessible vehicle by that same date, whether or not it would be required by the ADA;

• develop and distribute nationwide policies for meeting the ADA's "equivalent service standard" by making available "curbside service," through which Avis delivers to the terminal the vehicle a person with a disability will be renting; and,

• work with the authorities at Detroit Metro Airport to install signs directing individuals to the location of airport TDD's and to ensure that TDD's and trained personnel are available to respond to customers who need to contact its Detroit facility.

Avis has already added wheelchair lifts to two vehicles at the Detroit Airport that the Justice Department determined should have been equipped with them, but were not. Avis has also agreed to ensure that all of its newly acquired large shuttle vehicles are accessible to wheelchair users; retrofit existing vehicles; and, provide evidence that, as part of its comprehensive nationwide barrier removal program, it has removed the architectural barriers identified by the Department at Avis' Detroit facility. In addition, Avis will continue to make available "curbside service" at all airport locations nationwide, even though it might not be required at every location.

When the Department's investigation was initiated, only six vehicles out of a total of 286 were lift-equipped. Now 126 accessible shuttle vehicles are deployed at Avis' airport facilities nationwide. When the Avis fleet is in full compliance with the agreement, it will have at least 153 accessible vehicles.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the ADA or today's settlement can call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383/TDD or access the ADA home page at:

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

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