Yours Truly Accessibility

Don’t Get Locked Out of Accessibility

Yours Truly Accessibility — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:13:05 +0000

One of the most often-overlooked facets of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is the door. While parking, restrooms and signage are all notorious for their complexities, doors remain on top of the list for the California Building Code (CBC) of priorities for removing architectural barriers. This is because while restrooms are often the site [...]

Paths of Travel and how the ADA isn’t building code.

Yours Truly Accessibility — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:57:20 +0000

ADA is not Building Code One of the most common misconceptions about accessibility is about how it should be applied. Many design professionals, building code officials and contractors treat accessibility only as building code. However, as accessibility became more complex, the concept of an accessible “path of travel” was fragmented and divided by specialty. For example, [...]

ADA Lawsuits hit Palm Desert / Coachella Valley

Yours Truly Accessibility — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:07:28 +0000

Seven businesses in the Coachella Valley were hit by San Diego resident Roy Gash this spring. Gash is represented by the law firm Pinnock & Wakefield, one of the most litigious firms in all of California in regards to ADA litigation. Gash’s claims against John’s Restaurant in Palm Desert included an improper disabled parking space, a [...]

Culver City Seminar on Accessibility: September 9th

Yours Truly Accessibility — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:41:06 +0000

Date: Wednesday, September 09 2009 Time: 11:30am – 1:15pm Type: Luncheon Seminar Fee: $25 with a reservation: $30 at the door without a reservation Location: Four Points by Sheraton, 5990 Green Valley Circle, Culver City, CA Contact: Barbara Brody, barbara@culvercitychamber.com 310-287-3850 Speakers: Alexander Lee and Thomas Shin of Yours Truly Accessibility, Frank Chen of Wasserman, Comden & [...]

Getting to Know Your Restroom Signs

Yours Truly Accessibility — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:34:26 +0000

Accessible signage can be extremely difficult to achieve if you don't know what is required and what is not required. This is especially important if you are ordering custom signage that is both compliant with California Title 24 and looks good in your store! The above unisex restroom sign is a great example of a sign that looks great, but actually has unnecessary elements. Consider the use of this sign: It is to be mounted on the restroom's door, which is usually the only entrance and exit for the restroom. Question: Why does this sign need Braille, "RESTROOM" in tactile (touchable) lettering and the ISA (International Symbol of Access, or the wheelchair symbol) on it? Answer: It doesn't need any of it. Putting Braille and tactile lettering on a door that constantly opens and closes without warning is actually a safety risk for a visually-impaired person trying to read the sign! (This is actually a CA Title 24 violation, believe it or not.) The truth of the matter is, you really need all of this on a separate sign, mounted next to the door's latch-side. By placing it there, someone can feel and read the Braille and raised, tactile lettering without having to worry about getting the door slammed on them. Also, the word "RESTROOM" and the ISA are not required on a door sign (though it can be helpful). So what does a properly accessible sign look like?

Six Common Access Barriers

Yours Truly Accessibility — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:47:53 +0000

Many business owners are unaware of the thousands of possible accessibility barriers that can occur. Fortunately, many of them are simple and easy to address with little time or cost. Here are six tips from Yours Truly Accessibility that can greatly reduce your liability in minutes. Missing ISA Sign on Storefront All business entrances are required to [...]

Squeeze Inn served with ADA Lawsuit (Sacramento, CA) (Popehat.com)

Yours Truly Accessibility — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:24:14 +0000

The following is from Popehat.com, which was linked to by Overlawyered.com: The Squeeze Inn, known for huge mounds of melted cheese on its burgers, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, [a] lawsuit alleges. Kimberly Block, who says she has severly [sic] limited use of her legs, argues she suffered “embarrassment and humiliation” and that her [...]

Serial Plaintiff in Disability Lawsuits sues O.C. Deli Again, Drops Lawsuit (O.C. Register)

Yours Truly Accessibility — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:46:37 +0000

“Jaewoo Jang had owned Granny’s Deli in Santa Ana less than 10 months when he was slapped with a lawsuit claiming that he violated the rights of disabled people. He soon learned that 40 other lawsuits had been filed against 111 other small businesses and landlords in the Santa Ana area from Aug. 25 to [...]

ADA Damages Suits Don’t Require Intent, Calif. Supreme Court Rules

Yours Truly Accessibility — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:17:50 +0000

“Businesses that violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, even if unintentionally, can be sued for damages, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday. “Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar concluded that was a reasonable interpretation of the state Legislature’s decision in 1992 to adopt Civil Code §51(f) to amend the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act to include [...]

Basketball Town: An ADA Lawsuit Casualty (Rancho Cordova, CA)

Yours Truly Accessibility — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:55:53 +0000

“As a result of all the legal fees associated with the lawsuit, we had no choice but to close the facility,” says Crystal Chodes, former marketing director for Basketball Town, a special events facility for basketball, volleyball, and other sporting events for children and families. Basketball Town was forced to close because it could not afford [...]