>>> ALMOST NONE OF CHICAGO'S 2,800 CROSSWALKS WITH SIGNALS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO BLIND, LOW VISION PEDESTRIANS AND THE CITY IS BREAKING THE LAW.

A FEDERAL JUDGE RECENTLY FOUND THESE CROSSWALKS VIOLATE THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE REHABILITATION ACT.

THAT RULING IS THE RESULT OF A YEARS LONG CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BY A GROUP OF LOCAL COMPLAIN ANTS WITH BACKING U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" NICK BLUMBERG JOINS US TONIGHT.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES THIS IMPACT?

>> 65,000 BLIND OR LOW VISION PEDESTRIANS.

IT'S A HUGE CLASS OF PEOPLE BEHIND THIS LAWSUIT AND THEY SUED OVER CHICAGO'S FAILURE TO MAKE ITS SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS ACCESSIBLE.

THAT NUMBER DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PEOPLE VISITING OR COMING FROM THE SUBURBS.

ANN BRASH IS ONE OF THE LEAD PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE AND WE SPOKE WITH HER EARLIER THIS YEAR.

SHE SAYS SHE WAS NEARLY HIT BY A BUS CROSSING A DOWNTOWN STREET SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN SHE STARTED TO CROSS AT THE WRONG TIME.

>> I WANT TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.

I WANT TO GO PLACES.

I WANT TO BE INDEPENDENT.

I DON'T WANT TO DEPEND ON OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I'M AFRAID TO CROSS THE STREET.

>> NOW IN A STATEMENT AFTER THE RULING, BRASH SAYS, "THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER."

SHE AND THE OTHER PLAINTIFFS DIDN'T ASK FOR MONEY.

THEY SAY THEY JUST WANT TO COMPEL THE CITY TO INSTALL ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS.

THOSE GIVE AUDIO CUES TO PEDESTRIANS WHO CAN'T SEE OR CAN'T SEE WELL LETTING THEM KNOW THAT IT'S SAFE TO CROSS THE STREET.

RIGHT NOW BLIND PEDESTRIANS OFTEN HAVE TO LISTEN FOR PARALLEL TRAFFIC, WHICH IS NO GUARANTEE, ESPECIALLY IN A NOISY CITY LIKE THIS ONE.

>> NOW THAT THE JUDGE FOUND CHICAGO IS BREAKING CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, WHAT'S NEXT?

>> I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE PLAINTIFFS' ATTORNEYS.

SHE SAID THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET STARTED NEGOTIATING A REMEDIAL PLAN TO BRING CHICAGO INTO COMPLIANCE.

SHE HELPED ARGUE A SIMILAR CASE OVER NEW YORK'S CROSSWALKS.

THAT CITY WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, BUT THE NEGOTIATIONS THERE DRAGGED ON AND EVENTUALLY THE JUDGE HAD TO HOLD A HEARING TO DECIDE ON A REMEDIAL PLAN.

THE DECISION GAVE NEW YORK A DECADE TO MAKE THREE-QUARTERS OF ITS CROSSWALKS ACCESSIBLE.

>> WE IMAGINE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS, BUT THIS DECISION CERTAINLY PAVES THE WAY FOR PRODUCTIVE AND STRONG REMEDIAL PLAN THAT WE HOPE WILL REALLY BENEFIT BLIND AND LOW VISION PEDESTRIANS AND ULTIMATELY EVERYONE BECAUSE THESE UNITS CAN BE HELPFUL TO SIGHTED FOLKS AS WELL.

>> THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU'RE ANYTHING LIKE ME, YOU'VE CERTAINLY BEEN DISTRACTED BY YOUR PHONE OR SOMETHING OUT IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOU DIDN'T NOTICE THAT IT'S TIME TO CROSS.

NOW ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS WILL ALSO BE A BENEFIT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGHTED NOW BUT WHO EXPERIENCE VISION LOSS IN THE FUTURE.

JULIE TYE IS PRESIDENT OF HADLEY WHICH HELPS ADULTS LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE A NEW VISION DISABILITY.

>> AS WE ARE LIVING LONGER, OLDER ADULTS ARE INCREASING RISK FOR AGE-RELATED VISION LOSS.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SIGNIFICANTLY VISUALLY DISABLED IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS OR SO FROM ABOUT 7 OR 8 MILLION NOW TO AS MUCH AS 15 MILLION.

>> ADVOCATES SAY THE BENEFITS OF THE JUDGE'S RULING ON ACCESSIBLE CROSSWALKS CAN ALSO EXTEND BEYOND CHICAGO AND NEW YORK.

>> MAINLY WE'RE MAKING THESE CITIES REALIZE THAT SUCH A LEGAL DUTY DOES EXIST AND THEREFORE, WHEN THEY ARE SIGNALIZING THEIR OWN INTERSECTIONS, THEY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.

>> SHE SAYS THE PLAINTIFFS' REPRESENTATIVES HAVEN'T MET