New Post: Safety Nets: Building ADA Compliance into Your Parking Lot -
Building codes require businesses to have signs in their parking lot that demarcate handicap access in case no elevators, ramps, or rails are present in a given space. The usual methods are visual guides and vehicular considerations for people with disabilities. Still, ADA compliance extends beyond just mere paint aesthetics and navigation implements in the world of disability accommodation. It protects your business from lawsuits and provides safety for the disabled who benefit from your ADA-designed parking lot.
Parking lots have to be designed so that the disabled do not encounter barriers to movement, difficulty maneuvering, or physical harm. Any of these can lead to a lawsuit against the lot owner. Often, warnings are installed in parking lots explicitly stating hazards and denying liability, which may be due to construction or utility work occurring close by.
It's better to hire a capable contractor and upgrade your lots to standards than deal with the constant threat of a lawsuit. Here are ways in which ADA Compliance can be integrated into lot design.
1. Signage:
Accessible parking lots should always display the international symbol of accessibility in bright but soothing colors. Accessible parking signs have to be highly visible and contrast significantly with their background. In some cases, a sign may be too high for a person who uses a wheelchair to see as they approach the lot
