A manager screens tenants on disability where wheelchair users are placed on first floor. This practice is allowed if there's no elevator to the upper floors.

• A. Discriminatory and illegal regardless.
• B. Not allowed.
• C. Requires a separate building for disabled tenants.
• D. Is allowed if there's no elevator to the upper floors.

Answer: (D)

When a housing decision must balance disability rights with physical building constraints, the important idea is reasonable accommodation. If a building has no elevator and upper floors are inaccessible to wheelchair users, allowing a wheelchair user to be placed on a first-floor unit is a legitimate accommodation that helps the person access the housing. This isn’t about excluding people with disabilities; it’s about removing a barrier created by the building’s design so they can have equal opportunity to occupy a dwelling. The key is that the accommodation responds to the actual limitation—the lack of an elevator—while still treating applicants fairly and on a case-by-case basis when needed. Blanket discrimination in screening based solely on disability would be improper, while utilizing an accessible option that fits the building’s constraints is permissible. So, it’s allowed to assign a first-floor unit for wheelchair users when there’s no elevator serving the upper floors.