Justice Delayed: The Fight for Accessible Streets in San Juan

In the bustling streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a silent crisis has been unfolding—one that has already claimed lives and continues to threaten the safety and dignity of thousands of residents with disabilities. While many visitors to the historic city admire its colorful buildings and vibrant culture, they rarely notice the dangerous obstacles that make navigating these streets a daily gamble for wheelchair users, the elderly, and others with mobility challenges.

The Human Cost of Inaccessibility

The tragedy of Zulma, an 87-year-old woman who died after tripping on a non-compliant street surface while attempting to visit her ophthalmologist, represents just one of many preventable incidents. At the intersection of Juan Ponce de León Avenue and Guarionex Street in Hato Rey, a neighborhood with multiple medical facilities, dangerous conditions persist despite multiple accidents.

A recent news investigation documented ramps with a hazardous 19.8-degree slope—more than four times steeper than ADA standards allow. Local business owners report witnessing multiple incidents weekly, including a wheelchair user who fell face-first onto the pavement after their chair gained momentum on the excessively steep ramp.

Engineers who examined the site confirmed what residents already knew: the design violates both ADA regulations and Puerto Rico's building codes, which require a 1:12 ratio (one inch of vertical rise for every 12 inches of horizontal run).

The Stipulated Order: Promise Without Progress

In 2023, after years of litigation in the case Betancourt v. City of San Juan, a significant breakthrough occurred. The Municipality of San Juan entered into a Stipulated Order in federal court, formally agreeing to remediate accessibility barriers throughout the city. The Order contains specific provisions requiring the Municipality to ensure that any new construction or alterations to streets and sidewalks comply with ADA standards.

Critically, Paragraph 12 of the Order requires the installation of compliant curb ramps whenever streets are repaved or resurfaced—an obligation that aligns with 28 C.F.R. § 35.151(i), which has been federal law for decades.

The Stipulated Order also established a framework for identifying barriers through a comprehensive assessment and created mechanisms for accountability, including subject matter experts to certify compliance and a process for addressing violations.

A Pattern of Non-Compliance

Despite these legally binding commitments, compliance has been alarmingly scarce. The Municipality's own "Tus Calles al Día" program publicly documents extensive repaving activities throughout San Juan, with over 100 streets repaved between October 2024 and February 2025 alone. According to public records, none of these repaving projects included the installation of ADA-compliant curb ramps as required by the Stipulated Order.

Recent assessments conducted as part of the remediation process revealed that less than 0.5% of existing curb ramps in San Juan meet ADA standards—fewer than 100 compliant ramps in the entire city after six years of litigation and numerous promises of improvement.

This pattern suggests not simply administrative oversight but potentially systematic disregard for both the Stipulated Order and the civil rights of people with disabilities in San Juan.

Vélez Law Group's Advocacy

At the forefront of this battle for accessibility is Vélez Law Group, led by attorney José Vélez, who represents the plaintiffs in the Betancourt case. The firm has been diligently monitoring compliance with the Stipulated Order and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities throughout San Juan.

Their work encompasses not only legal representation but also community education about accessibility rights and the documentation of non-compliant infrastructure throughout the city. By highlighting specific violations, they have helped bring public attention to what might otherwise remain invisible barriers to many residents.

The firm has been working to ensure that the promises made in the Stipulated Order translate into concrete improvements for San Juan residents with disabilities. This includes pushing for proper implementation of the remediation process, accountability for non-compliance, and timely installation of accessible features during ongoing street repairs.

The Road Ahead

As San Juan continues to repave its streets and repair its infrastructure, the city stands at a crossroads. It can either embrace the opportunity to create a more inclusive urban environment or continue to place its most vulnerable citizens at risk.

The story of accessibility in San Juan reminds us that infrastructure is not merely about concrete and asphalt—it's about human dignity and equal rights. When a city fails to provide accessible pathways, it effectively tells citizens with disabilities that their safety and independence don't matter.

For residents like Zulma, whose lives have been irrevocably altered by inaccessible infrastructure, these are not abstract legal issues but matters of life and death. Her story, and countless others like it, underscores the urgent need for meaningful change in San Juan's approach to accessibility.

As the #PorZulma movement grows and legal advocacy continues, the hope is that San Juan will finally fulfill its obligations—not just to comply with a court order, but to ensure that all of its citizens can navigate the city safely and with dignity.

At Velez Law Group LLC, we are firmly committed to supporting those who seek equality and accessibility in housing and employment. We are here to help you understand and exercise your rights.

📞 Phone: 787-422-1881

✉️ Email: VLG@VELEZLAWGROUP.COM

🌐 Website: www.velezlawgroup.com

About Velez Law Group LLC

Velez Law Group LLC is a leading civil rights firm dedicated to ensuring equal access and compliance with fundamental regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the leadership of José Vélez, the firm has distinguished itself in Puerto Rico by driving significant improvements in accessibility within institutional environments. With recent accomplishments in landmark cases, we have transformed access to services and public spaces, actively defending the rights of those who seek to live barrier-free and on equal terms.