Nurse asks whether public accommodation numbers show compliance or underreporting

And so in the last fiscal year, 22 disability claims in public accommodations reached a filed complaint citywide, which is up from 16 from the year before.

Given how common and accessible storefronts, restaurants, issues in the public realm are, are you all reading that as compliance or underreporting?

Thank you.

Definitely an issue of reporting.

We know, again, that we are not the only forum individuals can...

And so we are often, if we're not the first option or if they contact us and they've already reached out to other venues for options, right, we're not capturing those numbers.

Public accommodations is very unique in that we're also getting tips, particularly anonymous tips from individuals who are visiting New York City and want to say, hey, this is something that I experienced.

Can you investigate?

And so oftentimes we're looking at those tips, seeing how we can convert them into other testing programs and possibilities for agency-initiated actions, right?

We know we had at least one commission-initiated action started in fiscal year 26 against Barnes& Noble, which did start based off of

tips about how heavy and inaccessible the entryway to that Barnes& Noble was in Union Square.

And I think, you know, I'll just add, because you mentioned it's often tips.

I think we've heard already housing is a huge area of inquiries and complaints because it is necessary, right, for your daily life.

Public accommodations, for people to want to file a complaint, you really have to have the desire to sit through what can be a very unpleasant process.

We know that across protected categories.

So just underscoring, I don't think we see New York City as accessible.

But really the role we play in our corner is to try and address the individual discrimination.

complaints that come to us, but definitely huge challenges.