Disability suits filed against 11 regional Sears stores.(Brief Article)

Holiday aisles too packed, critics say

A new wave of lawsuits over access for the disabled has been filed against 11 Sears stores in Northern California, including ones at Arden Fair and Florin Mall.

The main complaint is that Sears, Roebuck and Co. jammed its aisles with merchandise during the holidays, preventing wheelchair users and other people with disabilities from getting around the stores on their own.

The lawsuits, filed in federal court in recent weeks, are coordinated by Americans with Disabilities Advocates, a year-old Oakland access rights group and its attorneys.

The plaintiffs want Sears to admit wrongdoing, fix any problems, and pay unspecified damages, costs and attorney fees.

Sears denies that it …