In a dramatic legal filing, an inmate has taken the State of Illinois to court over alleged violations of his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act. The complaint was filed by Darrell Crawford on April 11, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the State of Illinois. Crawford claims that his treatment while in custody was not only degrading but also illegal.
Darrell Crawford, represented by Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd., alleges that during his incarceration, he was repeatedly denied necessary accommodations for his disability. According to the complaint, Crawford is hemiplegic and relies on a wheelchair for mobility. He asserts that despite being transported initially in an ADA-compliant vehicle from DuPage County Jail to the Northern Reception and Classification Center (NRC), subsequent transfers were conducted in non-ADA-compliant vehicles. This included a transfer on May 18, 2023, where he was reportedly lifted out of his wheelchair and placed unsafely into a prison bus without proper securing. "IDOC employees ignored Plaintiff's request," states the complaint, highlighting how he was manhandled into vehicles ill-suited for his needs.
Crawford's allegations extend beyond transportation issues. During court hearings at Iroquois County and Vermillion County Courthouses in July and August 2023 respectively, he claims IDOC failed to provide him with portable toilets or allow remote attendance despite knowing about inaccessible facilities at these locations. As a result, Crawford suffered humiliating incidents where he urinated and defecated on himself due to lack of access to appropriate bathroom facilities. His requests for ADA-compliant transport were similarly dismissed.
The plaintiff argues that these actions constitute discrimination under § 202 of the ADA and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act because they prevented him from accessing programs and services on equal terms with other inmates. He accuses IDOC of recklessly maneuvering his body during transfers, causing physical pain and emotional distress. The filing details multiple instances where makeshift solutions like unstable wooden steps were used dangerously during vehicle boarding processes.
Crawford seeks general damages for pain and suffering as well as special damages for specific losses incurred due to these alleged violations. Additionally, he demands attorney’s fees and costs associated with bringing this suit forward. The complaint emphasizes that such treatment is not only unjust but contravenes federal laws designed to protect individuals with disabilities.
Representing Darrell Crawford is attorney Peter T. Sadelski from Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd., based in Chicago. The case is presided over by judges at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois under Case No. 25-cv-3958.