WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to make Donna’s, a café and restaurant located in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore accessible to people with disabilities.

The settlement is between the Justice Department and the Palamino Corporation, which owns Donna’s, and the 800 North Charles Street Limited Partnership LLLP, which owns the building in which the restaurant is located. Under the agreement, an inclined platform lift will be installed on the stairs between the first floor lobby and the street level inside the North Charles Street entry. This lift will provide access to Donna’s and another restaurant located on the first floor. In addition, the restrooms, entrance signage and certain elements within the restaurant will be modified to comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

“The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is committed to the full and fair enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We all want to be able to go out for a cup of coffee or a meal, all Americans should have access to civic life. Removing architectural barriers is critical so that people with disabilities can enjoy access to restaurants and businesses and be fully integrated in their communities.”

The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination by public accommodations, such as restaurants, and requires that such entities remove architectural barriers to make their businesses accessible to persons with disabilities. People interested in finding out more about the ADA or this agreement can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY), or access its ADA Web site at www.ada.gov.