Certified Access Specialist | California ADA Experts
What is a CASp?
The term “CASp” stands for Certified Access Specialist. A CASp Inspector is an expert in the field of construction-related disability access. Certified Access Specialists (CASp) are certified by the California Division of the State Architect (DSA) to assess properties for compliance with federal and state construction-related accessibility standards, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Building Code (Title 24).
The CASp program, established under California Senate Bill 1608 (SB 1608), was created to address California’s growing number of accessibility related lawsuits being filed by high frequency litigants. By establishing a program to certify specialists in disability access, the state created a resource for the community to rely upon to encourage businesses to proactively address accessibility issues while mitigating legal risks associated with non-compliance.
To encourage businesses to voluntarily retain a Certified Access Specialist to evaluate their facility, legal benefits are provided to CASp inspected facilities to serve as deterrents against serial plaintiffs that target properties with the aim of securing quick financial settlements.
What is a Serial Plaintiff?
Serial Plaintiffs have several different names including: “Serial Litigant” & “High Frequency Plaintiff”. These terms are used to describe individuals that file many accessibility related lawsuits demanding monetary compensation.
In many cases, Serial Plaintiffs never actually visit the businesses that they file legal claims against. This allows serial litigants to file hundreds of “ADA lawsuits” in a short period of time by simply driving by or reviewing satellite imagery to identify obvious architectural barriers to accessibility.
The role and expertise of a Certified Access Specialist
Certified Access Specialists (CASp) are trained to identify construction-related barriers to accessibility and recommend measures to achieve compliance. CASp inspectors apply accessibility codes and standards the each site evaluation such as:
Chapter 11B of the California Building Code, which governs accessibility requirements for commercial buildings and places of public accommodation.
ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which is the primary federal standard that applies to most facilities.
While other professionals like architects and engineers can evaluate accessibility in the built environment, Certified Access Specialists are uniquely qualified to issue CASp reports and certificates to businesses that have been inspected and act in good faith to improve accessibility. A CASp certificate displayed at a property communicates to the general public and most importantly serial litigants that the business is a Qualified Defendant. Meaning that the inspected property is granted certain legal protections in the event that a construction-related accessibility lawsuit is filled. The benefits granted to proactive California businesses make it harder and less enticing for a high frequency plaintiff looking to secure a quick financial settlement.