The owner of Colorado King Soopers and City Market stores will make its buildings more accessible to people who use wheelchairs as part of a settlement with the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition.
The Dillon Cos. Inc. will make improvements to its 101 King Soopers and 35 City Market stores within five years.
The company has not determined how much it will invest in the changes.
The Dillon Cos. is a Kansas subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co.
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition sued The Dillon Cos. last March, alleging that people who use wheelchairs face barriers in parking, accessing merchandise behind display units, getting through checkout aisles and in other parts of its stores.
The company did not admit any wrongdoing.
Lawsuits filed by the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition have forced retailers and venues to improve their accessibility, including at Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Earlier this month, the group secured a record $16.25 million settlement against Kmart in an agreement that forces the retailer to improve access at 1,400 stores nationwide.
The Dillon Cos. will not pay any fines as part of the settlement, which was approved by a federal judge Tuesday.
The company will work with Loveland consulting firm Access By Design to explore improvements in 10 stores before implementing the changes in all the company’s stores within five years.
“It’s going to be fairly costly. Some of the changes are pretty significant,” said Kevin Williams, legal program director for the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition.
The changes will likely include re-striping accessible parking lot sections and widening the aisles at some checkstands, he said.
“We want to meet the needs of all of our customers and were pleased to collaborate with the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition in reaching this very positive resolution,” King Soopers president Russ Dispense said in a statement issued by the company.
A King Soopers spokesman declined to comment beyond the company’s formal statement.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
