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Settlement Reached To Aid NYC Residents With Disabilities In Disasters

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Advocates and New York City officials are praising a deal they've struck to protect nearly 900,000 residents with disabilities in the event of a disaster.

The agreement, announced Wednesday, calls for an upgrading of disaster centers to accommodate 120,000 disabled people by September 2017.

The deal resulted from a federal class-action lawsuit brought in 2011.

The lawsuit was filed a year before Superstorm Sandy left many disabled residents stranded in high-rise buildings and other areas, unsure where to turn for help.

New York City's top attorney, Zachary Carter, said he is extremely pleased with the agreement. He says it puts New York at the forefront of emergency preparedness nationwide.

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