Bank A offers safe deposit services in a vault area that contains a door too narrow for wheelchair passage. The bank cannot widen the door because of the vault construction. Therefore, when a customer in a wheelchair needs access to a safe deposit box the customer cannot enter the vault. The bank provides viewing rooms for all safe deposit customers, and one of these rooms has a door wide enough for a disabled customer to enter. Which of the following must the bank do to provide safe deposit box service to wheelchair customers?
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A. B. C. D.D
The bank in this scenario cannot provide wheelchair access to the vault area due to the narrow door, which is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA requires businesses to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to goods and services.
Option A, removing the old vault and installing a new one, is not a reasonable accommodation because it would be an excessive expense for the bank to incur. The ADA requires businesses to make accommodations that are reasonable and not unduly burdensome.
Option B, constructing an alternative facility for wheelchair customers' safe deposit boxes, may be an option, but it would require the bank to incur significant expenses to provide a separate location for these customers. Additionally, the ADA requires that businesses provide equal access to services to all customers, and providing a separate location for wheelchair customers could be viewed as segregating them from other customers.
Option C, requiring wheelchair customers to be accompanied by a walking individual, is not a reasonable accommodation because it would impose an additional burden on the customer and may not be feasible in all situations.
Option D, bringing the safe deposit box to the customer and providing an accessible area where the customer may privately have access to the contents, is a reasonable accommodation that would provide equal access to the service for wheelchair customers. The bank could provide a viewing room with a wider door for the customer to enter and retrieve their safe deposit box with assistance from bank personnel. This accommodation would not require significant expenses and would not segregate wheelchair customers from other customers.
Therefore, the correct answer is D, bringing the safe deposit box to the customer and providing an accessible area where the customer may privately have access to the contents.