SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Bed, Bath & Beyond's restroom doors do not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 9th Circuit ruled.
A three-judge panel on Thursday affirmed summary judgment on Chris Kohler's claims that the home goods store's restroom doors do not have necessary maneuvering clearance.
Kohler, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, claimed that the restroom at a store branch in Riverside, Calif. did not have enough wall space for him to open the restroom door with one hand and push himself off the wall with the other to exit.
The district court concluded that the ADA accessibility guidelines concern only floor space and the air above it, not the wall space, and that the restroom in question did not violate the ADA.
Kohler also claimed that since the restroom door was equipped with a latch, additional clearance was necessary for him to maneuver his wheelchair close enough to the door to unlatch it.
The district court ruled that the door was not equipped with a latch and rejected Kohler's interpretation of the word.
The 9th Circuit affirmed the court's conclusions.
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