Restaurant CASp Inspections
Restaurants evaluated by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all Public Accommodations to be accessible to people with disabilities. Public accommodations are businesses that are open to the public or provide goods and services to the public. Some of the most commonly visited public accommodations are restaurants, retail & lodging facilities. Each one of these facilities have different challenges and constraints to achieve full compliance without sacrificing function or design. This task can be an especially difficult for existing restaurants. Owners of existing restaurants often assume that they are grandfathered from ADA compliance or they compare their facilities to other nearby (non-compliant) restaurants. These assumptions and comparisons can expose restaurants to construction related accessibility litigation that is entirely avoidable. A Certified Access Specialist can help you with disability access compliance so you can focus on giving you guest the best experience possible.
The next priority would be to address the primary function of the restaurant. Why do customers visit your restaurant? Is it to quickly pick up food for take out? If so, you would want to pay close attention to compliance of accessible ordering and pickup counters. Do you provide a bar and dining tables? If so, each bar and dining area must provide accessible seating. What about the atmosphere? Do customers come to dine with a beautiful view or outdoor space? The experiential features that your restaurant offers needs to be provided on an accessible route so that every person can enjoy that same and equal experience.
If your restaurant provides restrooms, then they shall be accessible. Most construction related accessibility compliance issues identified in a CASp Report are found in the restrooms. This is because there are so many dimensions and requirements to meet for every accessible fixture, accessory and element. A restaurant owner may be tempted to download an ADA checklist to determine the accessibility of their restroom facilities but we would strongly discourage this. ADA checklists rarely address scoping requirements and exceptions. These are two important features that are essential to an accurate evaluation. Without properly scoping a facility, you could end up making modifications that are not necessary and possibly create more problems rather than fixing them. Depending on the location of the restaurant, you may have more restrictive state requirements that are not addressed in an ADA checklist. A CASp inspector will perform a proper restroom evaluation that addresses all of the applicable standards.
The first step to improving disability access at a restaurant is to understand what is required and how to prioritize accessibility improvements. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about ADA requirements and applicability of California Building Code. Our Certified Access Specialists have performed hundreds of Restaurant CASp Inspections to help restaurateurs understand the applicable standards and avoid ADA lawsuits. We invite you to contact us for a free consultation.
What makes a restaurant accessible to people with disabilities?
There are many factors to consider because every restaurant is unique. Some facilities provide dining with a view while others may only offer a takeout counter. Some restaurants have bar seating and others may only offer unfixed dining tables. The Covid-19 pandemic also introduced “temporary” Al Fresco Dining in vehicular areas that were never designed to accommodate dining tables on an accessible route. Alas, even the temporary dining areas that were erected in a hurry to save many restaurant businesses from pandemic related closures must comply with disability access requirements or face exposure to ADA lawsuits.
As with any public accommodation, the highest priority is placed on Readily Achievable Barrier Removal and providing access from site arrival points:
Accessible Path of Travel from the Public Right of Way
Accessible Parking
Accessible Path of Travel From Parking
You can have a perfectly accessible restaurant but it does no good if someone with a disability is unable to approach the entrance.