You may think that there is no official body that enforces the ADA but there is, although the dragon often sleeps. The ADA isn’t enforced just by individuals in lawsuits, but also by the Department of Justice. Recently the DOJ has reached a settlement with QuikTrip…
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with QuikTrip Corporation, a private company that owns and operates more than 550 gas stations, convenience stores, travel centers, and truck stops in the Midwest, South and Southwestern United States. Under the consent decree, which was filed today along with a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, QuikTrip will create a $1.5 million compensatory damages fund for individuals who were victims of discrimination based on disability, as well as take various steps to make its stores accessible.
Chipotle’s experience lets its patrons see the food being prepared. Chipotle Mexican Grill was sued for its counters being too high. The final decision of the lawsuit is below in this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
On the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal appeals court said the law entitles wheelchair users at a restaurant to the same view as everyone else of the food that awaits them – in this case, burritos, tacos and the rest of the fare at Chipotle Mexican Grill.
The 45-inch-high wall between the customer line and the food preparation counter at two Chipotle restaurants in San Diego County, which blocked the view of patrons in wheelchairs, violated the 1990 federal law that requires equal treatment of the disabled, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Monday.
The new federal standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by Obama yesterday on the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA by the first George Bush.
You can see Obama’s speech below:
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Good evening, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Well, we have a gorgeous day to celebrate an extraordinary event in the life of this nation. Welcome, all of you, to our White House. And thank you, Robert, for the wonderful introduction. It is a pleasure and honor to be with all of you on the 20th anniversary of one of the most comprehensive civil rights bills in the history of this country — the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Applause.)
You can also read the updated guidelines as they apply to the older regulations. Basically the ANSI/IBC standards of 2004 which incorporated the ADAAG 2004 have been absorbed into the Revised Standards of 2010. Facilities which are going to undergo construction 18 months from this date need to comply with the 2010 standards IF they have not yet complied with the 1991 standards. You can see the text directly below.
Many of the 2010 requirements are stricter. A major difference is that the 1991 requirement for van accessible space be 1 for every 8 total accessible spaces has changed to 1 for every 6. Another difference is the increase of space required for a side transfer in a single user toilet stall from 3 feet to 5 feet. These new standards reinforce, add or revoke existing 1991 standards. If you are thinking of updating to these new standards, you may not have to. There is a short window for businesses to comply to the 1991 standards before the 2010 take effect. Where the 2010 standards revoke the 1991 standards we can point those out to save you the time and effort of complying to standards which will no longer be necessary. We can help you navigate these and more.
If you have any questions, of course feel free to email us at help@ytaccess.com or call our toll free number at 866-982-3212×2.
The marked accessible entrance to this building has a locked gate between the road and the door. The real kicker is that the main entrance is more accessible than this one. It’s yet another example of an incomplete understanding of the law. Clearly the owners "knew" they needed an accessible entrance, but thought it should be separate. It is almost always best to make your main entrance the accessible entry.
Those with disabilities are having fun this summer at a new Texas theme park designed with their needs in mind.
Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, the brainchild of the father of a daughter with special needs and billed as the world’s first ultra-accessible family fun park, features rides and attractions easily enjoyed by those in wheelchairs or with cognitive disorders. Admission to the 25-acre park is free for those with cognitive or physical disabilities; family members and friends pay $5 a person. Kids 3 and under are free. Cost for those without a disabled patron in their party is $15. Reservations are required to visit, click here to make them.
The park (its website is morganswonderland.com) includes rides, interactive exhibits, playgrounds, gardens, a fishing lake and amphitheater. It has Braille signage.
This is the second video in a series of videos which give access tips. In this video we speak of more specific parking details. It builds on the last video which is about how to decide where to place accessible parking in the first place. Don’t let your business get caught with these liability issues. Access helps everyone!
Stay tuned for more!
For those of you who can’t see embedded videos, here is a short link: Parking Video #2
If getting an inspection could have helped warn the business. Regular inspections are a necessary part of running a business. About 20 years ago there were no house appraisals. Only a few people did them. Most did not want a house appraisal before they bought the house. Now it’s a regular part of the process of buying or refinancing a house. The same was true for various other inspections as well. Eventually ADA inspections will be part of that process.
There are thousands of these lawsuits. As the word passes more and more individuals might be tempted to test the waters with these suits. Having an ADA appraisal done of your site costs a fraction of a what a lawsuit would cost. A good example would be from one of our clients who informed us that after taxes he made only about 28k a year. The aftermath of the lawsuit cost him 15k — which included the cost of settling, paying for an architect and an attorney. An ADA appraisal would have cost him less than a thousand and prevented attracting a professional litigant.
Many restaurants, bars, salons and other service businesses overlook a requirement in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that signs be mounted exactly 60 inches above the ground.
They may also forget that hot water and drainpipes underneath sinks need to be insulated to protect against contact, particularly from those in wheelchairs.
Those are some of the things that were learned at a recent workshop put on by the City of Clovis to help local businesses come into compliance with the 20-year-old law in response to the large number of recent lawsuits.
Around 50 businesses needed the help since San Jose lawyer Randy Moore began targeting the Central Valley around two months ago on behalf of clients. El Gallo restaurant in Clovis, for instance, was forced to close its doors after being penalized up to $88,000 for 22 different violations.
Help is on the way for Clovis business owners who have been sued over violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On Monday night, the Clovis City Council approved a package of programs to help them meet state and federal regulations.
The program will allow the city to pay for seminars, inspections and matching loans to help business owners make necessary upgrades.
In the past six months, 45 lawsuits have been filed in federal court, many against Clovis businesses.
Clovis to use $624,000 in federal grants
A plan to use about $624,000 in federal grant dollars — mostly to meet requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act — was approved Monday night by the Clovis City Council.
The city’s Community Development Block Grant funding also will be used for affordable housing programs, home renovation projects and a community service officer for the Clovis Police Department primarily for southwest Clovis.
Under federal block grant funding rules, the city must use the money to assist residents in low- and moderate-income communities, prevent or eliminate urban blight and meet urgent needs around the city.
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