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'One of the primary responsibilities of state and local governments is to protect residents and visitors from harm, including assistance in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and [...]

Authors' Synopsis: A significant percentage of American families have a family member with a mobility impairment. The numbers will increase as our population continues to age. Therefore, it is important to focus on accessibility so that people can safely and easily navigate their local communities. This Article deals with the legal obligation to make communities accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specifically, this Article addresses the intricate regulations applicable to sidewalks. Local communities must construct, repair, and maintain sidewalks in compliance with the ADA. This obligation includes removing obstacles to accessibility such as snow, even in snow-belt communities that would prefer to avoid the cost of snow removal., I. INTRODUCTION II. SIDEWALKS AND THEIR PROVISION BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT III. SIDEWALK REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE IV. GENERAL UPKEEP V. ACCESSIBILITY AND SNOW REMOVAL VI. PLANNING FOR ADA COMPLIANT SIDEWALKS VII. [...]

The article focuses on the U.S. court case Frame v. Arlington, which dealt with city requirements to make reasonable sidewalk modifications to accommodate disabled persons under the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Topics include the denial of meaningful access to public services for disabled people and discriminatory practices.