Empowering People with Disabilities Through Legal Action

At Nyman Turkish, our disability discrimination practice is rooted in doing the most good for the greatest number of people. We believe that as lawyers, we play a central role in making sure that everyone experiences fairness. Jason Turkish, the Managing Partner and President of Nyman Turkish PC has become one of the most renowned and effective disability attorneys in the country. Jason and his team of attorneys are changing the rules of the game and establishing a voice for those with disabilities to ensure that they can live their best life without limitations of access, accommodation, or opportunity.

Landmark Legislation Making an Impact Nationwide

Disabled individuals are covered by many state and federal non-discrimination laws, however, these laws are often antiquated. In many ways, disability rights are a new development for our country, especially when compared to our global political structure, twenty-first-century technological advances, and ever-changing economic development. It is a young body of law and our attorneys are making a great impact – spearheading a legal movement when the law, rule, regulation, code, policy, or statute is deficient and limiting.

Disability Discrimination Case Results

Angelo Binno v. The Law School Admission Council 

We made the LSAT accessible for blind test takers. 

In 2019, after eight years and multiple court battles, the Law School Admission Council agreed to change the “logic games” section of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) for certain test-takers with disabilities. This will provide prospective blind lawyers the opportunity to pass the exam. Blind persons previously were at a disadvantage in this section, as they commonly lack the ability to draw the diagrams needed to answer the logic games section. This accommodation opens the door to a new generation of blind lawyers. 

CNN.com

Michael Harris & Karla Hudson v. Wayne County Airport Authority

We secured safe access to airport transportation services in Detroit.

Disabled and elderly passengers do not have to wait outside for transportation at busy Detroit Metropolitan Airport Wayne County airport after Nyman Turkish lawyer Jason Turkish successfully negotiated an out-of-court agreement with the Wayne County Airport Authority that protects Detroit’s disabled community. 

Following the airport’s decision to discontinue public transportation pick up and drop off services for passengers at the McNamara Terminal, Turkish filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit alleging that the decision violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, on behalf of two plaintiffs, one wheelchair-bound and the other blind. The suit alleged that several disabled plaintiffs would no longer be able to safely access airport transportation services under the new rules. 

Detroit Free Press

Ellis Kempf v. Michigan High School Athletic Association

We changed high school athletics for deaf students in the state of Michigan.

Teenage wrestler, Ellis Kempf, just wanted to know when a match was getting started, when it ended, and what offensive and defensive tactics his coach was suggesting to him from the sidelines. The problem was, Ellis has been deaf since the age of two, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association said his interpreter wasn’t allowed near enough to the mat to relay those instructions to the young athlete. 

After the MHSAA refused to allow an interpreter ringside, Ellis hired Nyman Turkish attorney Jason Turkish to file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Detroit alleging that the MHSAA’s ruling violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Attorney Turkish and the MHSAA were able to negotiate an accommodation for Ellis that allowed the interpreter close enough to relay information to the wrestler during the heat of a match. The lawsuit ended in a consent decree which will guarantee reasonable access to sign language interpreters for all Michigan high school athletes.  

USA Today 

The Detroit News.

Michael Powell et. al. v. Jocelyn Benson et. al. 

We fought for voters state-wide in Michigan to cast their ballots independently.

Prior to this lawsuit, there was no system in place for blind individuals to vote via absentee ballot, which became a major issue in the light of the pandemic. Casting an absentee ballot in Michigan is now possible for blind individuals after a judge ruled to expand the use of electronic absentee ballots, which allows visually impaired voters to cast a ballot independently with no assistance vs. voting in person with the guidance of a poll worker. The suit also introduced an independent third-party disability expert to oversee and monitor all voting issues in the state of Michigan related to disability. 

Creating Big Changes, Lasing Impact and Historical Significance

In each of these cases, the results reflect the needs of our current modern society and shape the law in favor of those with disabilities. Our team is proud of the role we played in these and other cases to help advance disability discrimination protections in Michigan and throughout the country.

We strive to help as many people as possible, to create the greatest impact on the law, and to change the legal landscape for disabled Americans. If you’ve experienced unjust or prejudicial treatment, contact a disability discrimination lawyer at Nyman Turkish. We work with individuals and advocacy organizations and represent clients nationwide from our offices in California, Florida, and Michigan.