ADA inspectors and Certified Access Specialist typically use 4 tools at a minimum to perform an ADA inspection:

• Tape Measure

• 24 Inch Smart Level

• Door Pressure Gauge

• Digital Camera

While other tools are sometimes used (Especially for expert witness work), the tools listed above are essential for any interior or exterior ADA compliance evaluation.

By far, the most common reason that a facility is involved with an ADA lawsuit is because of non-compliant accessible parking. Before you call “your buddy that knows the ADA” to stripe your accessible parking, you need to confirm the standard that applies to your facility.

Facilities that are inspected by a Certified Access Specialist are often provided with a blue CASp Certificate to display near a public entrance. The official name of these certificates is Disability Access Inspection Certificates (DAIC). The numbered certificates with the California state seal are distributed by the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and can only be issued to jurisdictional agencies or CASp inspectors. When a Certified Access Specialist orders a Certificate from the DSA, he or she will fill in the appropriate property information and submit it to the owner or tenant of the CASp inspected property.

Doors provide user passage from one room or space to another. They are essential features found in and around every built structure. Yet many doors are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Perhaps the reason is because there are so many different requirements and factors to consider. In this post, we will break down some of the basic features that make a door accessible to people with disabilities.

Ramps are extremely important accessible features found in the built environment. They provide an accessible route between two elevations and without them, people with disabilities would have a difficult time maneuvering throughout the world. There are other architectural means of providing access between two levels such as elevators and platform lifts but ramps require very little maintenance in comparison.

There are many different terms used to describe Truncated Domes:

• Detectable Warnings

• Tactile Paving

• ADA Dome Mats

• Those Yellow Bumpy Things

Whatever you choose to call it, Truncated Domes are the textured ground surfaces commonly found on curb ramps, transit stations and commercial shopping center parking lots. Truncated Domes are one form of detectable warning using in the built environment. They serve as physical warnings for people with vision impairments to avoid hazards.

When most people think about accessible signage, tactile and braille signs often come to mind. While these types of signs are required in many places of public accommodation, they are not the only signs that have ADA requirements. Signs with only visual characters also have ADA requirements including: character height, stroke, spacing, mounting height, etc.

We work with architects, engineers and contractors everyday. We regularly use terminology like scoping and technical requirements when consulting with design professionals who understand those terms. But we also use those terms when consulting with business owners, managers and property owners that may not be familiar with the meanings. This article briefly clarifies the meaning of both as they apply to disability access standards.

The wheelchair symbol is recognized globally as the International Symbol of Access (ISA). It is most commonly displayed as a white wheelchair logo on a blue background to denote elements or features that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Individuals that file many “ADA Lawsuits” have numerous labels: High Frequency Litigants, Serial Litigants and Serial Plaintiffs just to name a few. However, the only codified term for these individuals is “High-Frequency Litigants”.

Did you know that there are different types of accessibility consultants? Some specialize in construction-related disability access. Others specialize in website accessibility. This article will cover the 4 accessibility consultants with an expertise in construction-related accessibility compliance.

The ADA Standards for Accessible Design were created to ensure equal access for people with disabilities by prohibiting exclusions from everyday activities. A common activity that we all enjoy is dining at restaurants. To ensure that an equal experience is provided to all guests, the ADA and CBC require accessible seating in at least 5% of dining surfaces in each functional area.

While Al Fresco Dining is nothing new, the Covid-19 pandemic caused many restauranteurs to construct open-air dining spaces as a means of survival. In many cases, parking lots and vehicular areas in front of restaurants were hastily converted into dining areas. This situation created a host of disability access issues that exposed struggling restaurants to construction related accessibility litigation. In some cases, Al Fresco Dining obstructed accessible parking spaces that existed pre-pandemic. In other cases, well built dining structures were constructed in street parking areas without an accessible route that connected to the sidewalk. The most common issue being that ramps were provided with excessive slopes and lacked handrails, wheel-guides and landings. These conditions led to many ADA lawsuits alleging discrimination against people with disabilities.

Many businesses decorate their facilities without sacrificing disability access. However, some businesses fail to consider the clear accessible route requirements when decorating for the holidays. The consequences of obstructing accessible routes can lead to less access for customers with disabilities and exposure to ADA lawsuits.

Most people assume that an accessible EV charging station is just an accessible parking stall with an EV charger. That is not the case. Parking spaces store parked vehicles whereas EV charging spaces are areas that can accommodate a vehicle while being charged. Think of it like the space where you park when filling up your tank at the gas station. Sure, your vehicle is parked next the the fuel pump while filling up but you would consider it a parking space.

Another important distinction between accessible parking and accessible EVCS is that anyone with electric vehicle can use an accessible EV charging station*. An accessible EVCS can be used much like an accessible compartment in a restroom. It is designed to accommodate people with disabilities but anyone can use it if they wish.

The differences in function and use require these two elements to be scoped separately and marked differently.

EV Charging Stations (EVCS) are becoming a standard element that is included in new and existing parking lot designs. We review site plans everyday and we are discovering is that Accessible Parking Spaces and Accessible EV Charging Stations are being scoped incorrectly. This is a problem that can easily fixed if caught early in the design phase. But as the project progresses into construction, correcting scoping errors can be costly and seriously impact design. So how should accessible parking and accessible EVCS be scoped?

Even though I work in the field of accessibility compliance, I couldn’t quite appreciate the impact of accessible design until I became a parent. During that first year of my children’s life, we rarely left our home without a stroller. Suddenly, my wife and I were acutely aware of which street corners had curb ramps on our route to the local park….

Did you know that there are significant tax credits and deductions for improving accessibility? In fact, the IRS provides a federal tax credit to cover 50% of the cost of accessibility improvements, including consultant fees. As we enter the 4th quarter of 2022, now is a perfect time to leverage the tax incentives below by hiring a CASp Consultant to create an action plan for ADA compliance.

AB 2093 requires a new disclosure that must be included in all commercial leases executed after January 1, 2017. The objective of the CASp disclosure is to establish a dialog between perspective tenants and landlords about: ADA violations that exist, who is responsible for accessibility improvements and which party assumes liability in the event that an ADA lawsuit is filed.

To provide equal access for people with disabilities, the ADA requires sales and service counters to accessible. But what is an accessible service counter? What is an ADA compliant counter height? What is an accessible counter width? & How should and accessible counter be approached?