Tiny Charity Caught in Blizzard of ADA Lawsuits

In the back of his mind, Jim Cook knew from personal experience that he needed to install a handicapped parking space at Help Services, his small Mesa, Arizona-based charity, to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

"I should have realized we didn’t have a parking space," Cook said. "None of us thought about it. It was just an oversight."

Cook said he would have appreciated a courteous letter, a simple heads-up to remind him the parking space was required at his tiny, nonprofit social service agency. Instead, Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities filed an ADA lawsuit against his charity.