Tag Archives: Accessible Cities

Accessibility Speaker, Accessible Business, Accessible mainstreet, Accessible Retail, ADA Workshop

Solving Accessibility Barriers on Mainstreet

Architectural Barriers and Attitude Barriers Business Workshop

Learn what is and is not required in the ADA for business. Wheelchair rental at theme parks are a customer convenience and NOT an ADA requirement. Consumers are responsible for providing their own mobility devices. Many consumers rent an electric scooter for theme park use.
Learn what is and is not required in the ADA for business. Wheelchair rental at theme parks are a customer convenience and NOT an ADA requirement. Consumers are responsible for providing their own mobility devices. Many consumers rent an electric scooter for theme park use.

Identify Common ADA Architectural Barriers and Solutions for the Resort, Restaurant, and Lodging Industry.

This iterative live workshop identifies common ADA Architectural Barriers at resorts, restaurants, and retail businesses.  The workshop may be customized for specific industries, events or times.

 

In this interactive training , we present common ADA architectural barriers, the audience offers their solutions  the moderator then explains the proper solution and why .

We all want our facilities to be safe, comfortable and welcoming for all of out guests.  Many business people do not realize that 20% of the USA population live with a disability, or that consumers  over age 50 are the biggest spenders.  Most business owners have good intentions to follow the ADA, however employees often place items in locations that create barriers to accessibility.

 

Movable barriers block the accessible handrails at the entrance to a store. Many times employees actions create accessibility obstacles.
Movable barriers block the accessible handrails at the entrance to a store. Many times employees actions create accessibility obstacles.

Architectural Barriers Workshop Take-Away Points

  • Define Place of Accommodation and responsibilities for facilities, goods and services.
  • Discuss the most frequent Disability Discrimination Architectural Barriers ADA Litigation.
  • Explain the secretes behind how a Consumers with Disabilities selects a particular business to sue.
  • Review ADA accessible on-line tools.
  • Demonstrate Accessible Path of Travel requirements.
  • Review samples of accessible path, accessible aisles, accessible parking, accessible entries, accessible sidewalks, accessible restrooms, accessible signage and more.
  • Discuss restaurant seating, hotel rooms, salons and spas, retail shopping, casinos and gaming, recreational facilities, swimming pools, fishing docks,  seating, serving food, buffets,  hotel rooms, changing rooms, spas, golf courses, and other resort amenities.
  • Teach the ADA Civil Law obligations and 2012 Florida Building Code obligations that lodging and resort facilities need to be aware of  to meet the needs of guests living with disabilities.

This is an excellent ADA training workshop for Business Owners, Property Owners, Property Managers, 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.

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