Source: https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=162-26&full=true
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 02:35:27+00:00

Document:
162-26-100 Structural barriers to accessibility.
162-26-120 Requirements of other law.
162-26-130 Use of trained dog guide or service animal.
162-26-135 Removal of a dog guide or service animal.
162-26-140 Unfair to request or require waiver of rights.
162-26-020 Purpose of chapter. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3) and 1997 c 271. WSR 98-08-035, § 162-26-020, filed 3/23/98, effective 4/23/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3). WSR 82-19-086 (Order 41), § 162-26-020, filed 9/22/82.] Repealed by WSR 99-15-025, filed 7/12/99, effective 8/12/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3).
162-26-030 Related law. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3) and 1997 c 271. WSR 98-08-035, § 162-26-030, filed 3/23/98, effective 4/23/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3). WSR 82-19-086 (Order 41), § 162-26-030, filed 9/22/82.] Repealed by WSR 99-15-025, filed 7/12/99, effective 8/12/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3).
162-26-035 Concurrent remedy in court. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3). WSR 82-19-086 (Order 41), § 162-26-035, filed 9/22/82.] Repealed by WSR 99-15-025, filed 7/12/99, effective 8/12/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3).
162-26-050 Who is protected. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3) and 1997 c 271. WSR 98-08-035, § 162-26-050, filed 3/23/98, effective 4/23/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3). WSR 82-19-086 (Order 41), § 162-26-050, filed 9/22/82.] Repealed by WSR 99-15-025, filed 7/12/99, effective 8/12/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3).
162-26-090 Arranged service. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3) and 1997 c 271. WSR 98-08-035, § 162-26-090, filed 3/23/98, effective 4/23/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3). WSR 82-19-086 (Order 41), § 162-26-090, filed 9/22/82.] Repealed by WSR 99-15-025, filed 7/12/99, effective 8/12/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.60.120(3).
This chapter interprets and implements the disability discrimination coverage of RCW 49.60.215, unfair practices of places of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, and amusement. This chapter does not define the scope of the civil right to be free from discrimination because of disability declared in RCW 49.60.030 or interpret other statutes.
(1) Place of public accommodation. RCW 49.60.040 defines and lists examples of a place of public accommodation.
(2) General definitionsspecial to this chapter. The following words or phrases are used in this chapter in the meaning given, unless the context clearly indicates another meaning.
"Accessible" means usable or understandable by a person with a disability, with reasonable effort and in reasonable safety.
"Disability" is short for the term "the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability" used in the law against discrimination, and means the full term.
"Dog guide" means a dog that is trained for the purpose of guiding blind persons or a dog that is trained for the purpose of assisting hearing impaired persons.
"Place of public accommodation" is short for "place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement" and means the full term.
"Reasonable accommodation" means action, reasonably possible in the circumstances, to make the regular services of a place of public accommodation accessible to persons who otherwise could not use or fully enjoy the services because of the person's sensory, mental, or physical disability. See WAC 162-26-080.
"Same service" means service without regard to the existence of a disability. See WAC 162-26-060.
"Service" means everything available to persons from a place of public accommodation.
"Service animal" means an animal that is trained for the purpose of assisting or accommodating a person's sensory, mental, or physical disability.
"Structural" means the load-bearing members and essential structure or composition of a place, as distinguished from its finish, decorations, or fittings. Examples of structural components are floors, walls, stairs, door openings, sidewalks, elevators, and escalators. Examples of things that are not structural are moveable walls, bathroom fixtures and partitions, fixtures such as water fountains (whether or not attached to a wall), doors and door hardware, cabinets, counters, handrails, signs (attached or painted), elevator controls, alarm systems, and carpeting or other floor covers.
(1) Same service preferred. The purposes of the law against discrimination are best achieved when disabled persons are treated the same as if they were not disabled. The legislature expresses this policy in RCW 49.60.215 with the words "regardless of." Persons should, if possible, be treated without regard to their disability or use of a dog guide or service animal. This is called "same service" in this chapter.
(2) Reasonable accommodation. The law protects against discrimination because of the "presence" of a disability. It does not prohibit treating disabled persons more favorably than nondisabled persons in circumstances where same service will defeat the purposes of the law against discrimination.
For example, this would be true if persons in wheelchairs and nondisabled persons are equally entitled to use the stairway to reach the second floor of a store. In such circumstances, the operator of the place of public accommodation should use the next best solution: Reasonable accommodation.
A reasonable accommodation would be to permit the shopper in the wheelchair to use an elevator to reach the second floor, even though the public in general is not permitted to use the elevator. If there is no elevator and no other safe and dignified way for the customer to reach the second floor, another reasonable accommodation would be to bring merchandise requested by the customer to the first floor. Reasonable accommodations may also include, but are not limited to, providing sign language interpreters and making printed materials available in alternate formats.
(3) Overall objective. People with disabilities must be afforded the full enjoyment of places of public accommodation to the greatest extent practical.
(6) To fail to reasonably accommodate the known physical, sensory, or mental limitations of a disabled person, when same service would prevent the person from fully enjoying the place of public accommodation, as provided in WAC 162-26-080.
(a) The Washington State Building Code.
(b) Chapter 219, Laws of 1971 ex. sess.
(c) Chapter 35, Laws of 1967.
(e) United States law; including The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, codified at 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Federal Fair Housing Act.
(b) Are presently lawful under the state building code and other law outside of the law against discrimination.
This exemption does not relieve the operator of a place of public accommodation of the duty to make reasonable accommodation to the needs of disabled persons as described in WAC 162-26-080.
(d) To fail to maintain or fail to continue the accessibility of a place of public accommodation that was required by law to be accessible when it was built, remodeled, or rehabilitated.
(a) When installing a nonstructural fixture or component, to choose and install one that is not accessible to the person with a disability or that makes the place of public accommodation less accessible to the person with a disability.
(b) When replacing a nonstructural fixture or component, to replace it with one that is not accessible to the person with a disability or one that makes the place of public accommodation less accessible to the person with a disability.
(c) When relocating a nonstructural fixture or component, to relocate it to a place that is not accessible to the person with a disability, unless no suitable place is accessible.
(d) When modifying a nonstructural fixture or component, to do so in a way that does not eliminate barriers to the person with a disability, when possible.
(1) Guidance. Failure to meet requirements of related law protecting persons with disabilities in places of public accommodation may be evidence of an unfair practice under RCW 49.60.215. The commission may refer to standards established in related law for guidance in determining whether an unfair practice under RCW 49.60.215 has occurred.
(i) The Federal Fair Housing Act.
Use of trained dog guide or service animal.
(1) Coverage of statute. RCW 49.60.215 requires fair service in a place of public accommodation "regardless of . . . the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a disabled person . . ." as well as because of disability itself.
(2) Same rules apply. All of the rules of this chapter with respect to disability itself apply equally to service of a person with a disability who is using a trained dog guide or service animal. See particularly WAC 162-26-060 and 162-26-070.
Removal of a dog guide or service animal.
(1) General rule. It is an unfair practice for a place of public accommodation to ask that a trained dog guide or service animal be removed, unless that place of public accommodation can show that the presence, behavior or actions of that dog guide or service animal constitutes an unreasonable risk of injury or harm to property or other persons.
It is an unfair practice to remove a trained dog guide or service animal from the entire place of public accommodation because the dog guide or service animal presents a risk of injury or harm when in part of the place of public accommodation.
(2) Assessing risk of injury or harm.
(a) Risk to property or other persons must be immediate or reasonably foreseeable under the circumstances, not remote or speculative. Risk to persons may be given more weight than risk to property. Risk of severe injury or harm may be given more weight than risk of slight injury or harm. For example, a barber excludes a patron's dog guide because; "It might bite somebody — I don't allow any dogs in here." This is not "reasonably foreseeable risk" justifying removal of the dog guide.
(b) Annoyance on the part of staff or other customers of the place of public accommodation at the presence of the dog guide or service animal is not an unreasonable "risk to property or other persons" justifying the removal of the dog guide or service animal.
(c) Risk of injury or harm to the dog guide or service animal is not a reason for a place of public accommodation to exclude the animal. The decision whether to bring the animal into a place of public accommodation under such circumstances most properly rests with the person with a disability using the dog guide or service animal.
(3) Duty to reasonably accommodate. When risk justifies the removal of a dog guide or service animal from the place of public accommodation, efforts must be made to reasonably accommodate the person with the disability.
(4) Liability. Law other than the law against discrimination governs liability for injury or harm. Generally, a person with a disability using a dog guide or service animal is responsible for the animal and may be held liable for the behavior and actions of the animal.
Unfair to request or require waiver of rights.
This section is intended to prohibit waivers on the basis of disability, but is not intended to preclude waivers required on a nondiscriminatory basis.
(1) It is an unfair practice for any person to request or require another person to waive rights or hold anyone harmless as a condition of the use or enjoyment of a place of public accommodation by a disabled person.
(2) It is an unfair practice to request or require another person to waive rights or hold anyone harmless as a condition of the use or enjoyment of a place of public accommodation by a disabled person using a dog guide or service animal.

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