Wendy’s to Improve Access for the Disabled

Nearly 1,700 Wendy’s restaurants nationwide, including those in California, will become more accessible to disabled customers under an agreement reached with the Justice Department. Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s International Inc. will either widen or remove barriers in its ordering lines to accommodate wheelchairs, the Justice Department said. Wendy’s spokeswoman Rebecca Lusk said the alterations will be completed within the next 18 months. The costs for the changes are expected to be minimal, she said. The out-of-court agreement resolves a two-year investigation into access issues at Wendy’s restaurants by the Justice Department and attorneys general from nine states, including California. Wendy’s stock fell 31 cents to close at $21.38 on the New York Stock Exchange.