Seminars on ADA Awareness are useful to help small and local businesses.

From the Business Journal:

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.

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Below is a short quiz (geared for California Access Requirements) that you can take to assess your site’s general accessibility. Be aware that access is determined by far more complicated features.

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 have an ISA logo (International Symbol of Access) displayed in contrasting colors. There is no “certification” required to post this on your front window. Placement of this can be anywhere near or on the entrance door. Be sure not to place this sign where the sign will blend in with the surrounding surface! That defeats the purpose of having the sign.
	Disabled Parking Sign Not Filled In (Or just missing) This sign should be filled in and present at every entrance of the parking with the relevant information regarding disabled parking (telephone number and the location or entity where the car is kept… usually this is the police station). This is one of the most common missing signs in parking lots, and is necessary to prevent disabled parking from being unfairly occupied.
	Unsecured Floor Mats Unsecured floor mats, while tidy, are also a source of trips and falls by people using walkers and canes, especially if they tend to shuffle their feet. These should be attached to the ground with industrial-strength adhesive to avoid bunching up, or simply removed to eliminate liability.
	Mirrors Placed Too High The key here is ‘equal access.’ If restroom mirrors are placed too high (over 40 inches from floor to bottom edge), they are considered discriminatory. Either remounting a mirror (just one is enough) to the correct height or removing all mirrors solves this problem.
	Unwrapped Hot Water Pipes Most people are unaware of how hot pipes can become after hot water has been running through them. Even worse, diabetics and paraplegics in wheelchairs may be unable to feel scalding burns from unwrapped pipes beneath a sink!
	Non-Lever Doors and Non-Button Locks Doorknobs and locks that require a grasping, twisting or pinching motion to operate may be difficult for people with joint problems such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. A door lever with a push-button lock is the best solution.

These are just a sample of issues that are extremely easy to fix, but are legitimate barriers to people with disabilities. Yours Truly Accessibility can help you find and remove barriers, identify possible liabilities, train your staff on disability awareness, and find reliable contractors who will get it right the first time, saving you time and money. Call us today at (866) 982-3212 or email us at help@ytaccess.com if you have any questions about accessibility.