What can a person do if he or she is being discriminated against by a place of public accommodation on the basis of his or her HIV status?
A person who believes that he or she is being discriminated against should first try to educate the manager or owner of the public accommodation about what the ADA requires. The person should suggest reasonable policy changes that will provide equal access, request a communication aid, or ask that a barrier be removed. An individual may also wish to seek out mediation services provided by community or private mediation services. If the situation is not resolved satisfactorily, a complaint may be filed with the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice is authorized to investigate complaints and to bring lawsuits in cases of general public importance, or where there is a “pattern or practice” of discrimination. Due to resource limitations, the Department is unable to investigate every complaint. The Department may seek injunctive relief (i.e., having the public accommodation correct its discriminatory practices), money damages, and civil penalties. Complaints should be sent to th
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