Tag Archives: 2012 Florida Accessibility Code for Building Constrution

Accessibility FAIL, Accessible Cities, Accessible Main Street, Accessible Parallel Parking, Accessible Parking, Accessible Site Planning, ADA Architectural Barriers

Is Parallel Parking Accessible? Accessible New Urbanism

On Street Parallel Parking is NOT Recognized by the ADA Standards

Does anyone with a reasonable conscience believe that a person with a mobility disability should have to stand in traffic to enter and exit their car?

20% of the American population lives with a disability. In my opinion, a lack of accessible parking in redeveloping downtown districts,  perpetuates keeping people with disabilities “out of sight, out of mind” or NIMN, “Not in My Neighborhood.”

Fortunately, this lady in Asheville, NC had a friend to look out for oncoming traffic. The “Reserved Accessible Parking” space was the same width as all of the other parallel parking spaces. There was NO access aisle between the van and the sidewalk.  Having safe distributed accessible parking is crucial in redeveloping walkable cities.

Non-Accessible on street parallel parking space. The access aisle leads to a raised curb.. Downtown urban renewal.
Non-Accessible on street parallel parking space. The access aisle leads to a raised curb.. Downtown urban renewal. Main-street city.

The ADA Code requires all “Handicapped Parking Spaces” to have an access space next to a car or van for a lift for mobility devices.

In Florida, all Accessible Parking Spaces must be 12 feet wide plus a 5-foot access aisle for a total of 17 feet.

Nationally, ADA requires 8 feet for an accessible car plus an 8-foot access aisle or 11 feet for an accessible van plus 5 feet for an access aisle.   All of the Accessible parking spaces require a total of 16 feet in width.

A situation came to my attention today in the City Beautiful. A City that promotes itself as inclusive. A paraplegic, who uses a van with a full lift, purchased an in-fill condominium in a Historic District. The condominium building, a re-purposed award-winning historical retrofit, has individual car parking garages for each unit.

Accessible vans are often taller than a standard garage door.  In commercial buildings with parking garages, clearances are mandatory for accessible van parking. In a smaller unit residential building, standard car height individual garages are allowed.

The developer asked the city to allow them to build a van accessible parking space, with an accessible path, to this individuals condo unit door on their own property. The City Historical Board denied allowing the paraplegic woman building a parking space on her property.

The City Historical Boards solution was that they would add a PUBLIC “accessible parking” sign to one of their existing parallel parking spaces on the existing narrow public street.

Parallel on-street parking is NOT accessible, without the added side access aisle.  Since the accessible parking space requested was for a van, it would have required 17′ in clear width, which certainly wasn’t available on the street.

This City board saw their “Historical Code” as a priority over Equal Access .

The Department of Justice has worked tirelessly to create the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, to assure architectural access for all. It is possible to design historically relevant accessible features and I am available to show any agency how.

Please send your colleagues and Historical Boards in my direction, for Disability Smart Solutions to assist them in employee training and accessible urban solutions. Susan’s cell: 407-310-3663

Accessible Business, ADA, ADA Compliance, ADA Workshop Topic, Americans with Disabilities Act, Conference Speaker Diversity, Customer Service, Customer Service Workshop, Disability Awareness Workshop, Disability Friendly Business, Disabled Consumers, Disabled Customers, Keynote Speaker, Orlando Speaker, PTSD Service Dogs

ADA Service Animal Law Workshop

ADA Service Animal Law, Stay out of the Doghouse, Workshop

ADA Service Animal Law Workshop

All businesses must allow Service Dogs. It’s the Law.

Know ADA Service Animal Law.  ADA Service Animals are allowed in businesses.  The only place an ADA Service Dog may be denied access is in certain medical clean room environments.  Every day we hear news stories of business owners believing that they have the right to question and deny access to their facility to people with service dogs as a “property right.”

We created our “ADA Service Animal Law, Stay out of the Doghouse, Workshop”  to dispel the myths.

There are many myths about training certifications, Dog I.D.’s, therapy snakes, and service parrots.

We hear the term PTSD thrown around in the media and many have misconceptions of how this disease, defined by a group of symptoms, impacts the ability for many people to interact in social settings the same way they did before they experienced a  life-changing trauma.

When hospitality and restaurant employees deny people access with their service dog, it not only breaks judicial law and carries a steep fine, but it also negatively impacts the person.

  • How to dispel the myths and focus on the ADA Service Animal facts.
  • We provide customer service tools for successful interactions with Service Dog users and how to turn them into loyal customers.
  • Know the only two questions that a business may legally ask a person with an ADA Service Animal.
  • Know the  legal  difference and rights between ADA Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals.
  • Understanding PTSD: The Role of a PTSD Service Dog and the LAW.
  • Review all of the symptoms of PTSD and how they impact  may impact a person’s daily life.
  • With the right tools, a business can engage consumers with service dogs, increase their bottom line and avoid costly judicial discrimination lawsuits.
  •  A Service Dog is available as a trainer at this workshop..

This is an excellent ADA training workshop for Owners, Key Staff, Facilities Managers, Risk Managers and Operations Managers.

We are now scheduling for our 2017 Architectural Barriers ADA Workshops.  Please contact us to review your event requirements.  Please review our page Speaker and Workshop Fees for information on the different types of speaking engagements offered and a list of bonus items for meeting planners.  All of our topics may be customized for your individual event. Speaker and Workshop Fees