Don Harris, TN Housing Program Director, recently announced the Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grant, also known as the Section 504 Home Repair Federal Grant Program, that provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes or, provides grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.
Read MoreAccess aisles serving parking spaces shall comply with Standard 502.3. Access aisles shall adjoin an accessible route. Two parking spaces shall be permitted to share a common access aisle.
Read MoreAccessible routes must connect parking spaces to accessible entrances. In parking facilities where the accessible route must cross vehicular traffic lanes, marked crossings enhance pedestrian safety, particularly for people using wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Where possible, it is preferable that the accessible route not pass behind parked vehicles.
Read MoreThe signs are too low to the ground. There are no markings for the spaces to show where to park. There is no “van accessible” space. There are no access aisles connecting to an accessible route to the entrance. And grass is not a suitable surface for the parking spaces or the access aisles.
Read MoreAn accessible aisle for the accessible parking space is missing from the photo. Each accessible parking space should have an accessible aisle next to the parking space. An access aisle is not an option for accessible parking. It is required.
Read MoreThe laws in the ADA are minimums. If an entity chooses to go beyond the requirements of the ADA, that’s great. Congratulations to St. George Island for coming up with an innovative way to communicate important information for disabled individuals about these beach paths.
Read MoreAll in all, these accessible parking spaces are a great example of doing the ADA right. Accessible parking should include an adequate number of accessible spaces with access aisles that connect to an accessible route to the nearest entrance to the facility. Signage must be included for each parking space.
Read MoreThe Morris Bank has gone beyond the minimum requirements in the ADA by installing a directional sign at an entrance that is not accessible and also offering a telephone number to call for assistance, which is not required by the ADA.
Read MoreManufacturer’s and retailers are coming on board almost daily with new and interesting products for aging-in-place home modifications. An article in Bob Vila identifies some of these new products and the manufacturer. Putting this all together requires a project planner experienced in home design and aging-in-place installations. Please contact Richard Acree at 615-752-0060, or email inspections4ada@gmail.com, to discuss your needs for CAPS services.
Read MoreThe Biden Administration has tasked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with managing set-up and operations for Community Vaccination Centers across the country. With other federal agencies, FEMA established a Civil Rights Advisory Group that developed a Civil Rights Checklist and Best Practice Information resource to provide states, territories, and tribes a list of civil rights considerations and resources to ensure equitable vaccine access.
Read MoreIn a historic first, the White House has named disability policy director Kimberly Knackstedt to sit on the Domestic Policy Council and ensure the government is prioritizing Americans with disabilities, including those with lingering disabilities caused by COVID-19.
Read MoreThere are three different sets of these guidelines and standards that apply to facilities built on US Forest Service national forests and grasslands: the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS), the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG), and the Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG).
Read MoreGoogle Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom are offering free closed captioning for on-line meetings. To see more details on the accessibility features offered by Zoom and how to use them, please see the Happy Meetings for Everyone blog from Zoom.
Read MoreThe National Deaf Center (NDC) recently posted this article about negative attitudes and biases toward individuals who are deaf or have limited hearing. NDC’s research identifies negative attitudes and biases as one of several root causes contributing to attainment gaps for deaf people. The story is another example of negative attitudes and biases toward people with limited hearing.
Read More2010 ADA Standard 1002 covers the primary scoping requirements for amusement rides. With some exceptions, accessible amusement rides are required to have an accessible route to the ride, an accessible loading and unloading area, and accessible seating in the ride. The amusement rides that are covered by Standard 1002 are ones that are not regularly assembled and disassembled.
Read MoreADA Standard 234 covers the primary scoping requirements for amusement rides. With some exceptions, accessible amusement rides are required to have an accessible route to the ride, an accessible loading and unloading area, and accessible seating in the ride. The amusement rides that are covered by Standard 234 are ones that are not regularly assembled and disassembled.
Read MoreDespite the pandemic of 2020, for the third year in a row ADA Title III federal lawsuits topped 10,000 nationwide. In January 2021, 1,108 federal cases were filed – the most ever in a single month! Complacency is a common cause for ADA lawsuits. Ignorance is no excuse. Owners, operators and tenants of Title III public accommodations and commercial facilities must comply with the ADA laws. The same is true for facilities that must comply with ABA or FHA laws. Failure to do so may add your case to the list of federal lawsuits for 2021.
Read MoreGone are the days of vague and nondescript drive-by lawsuits for ADA compliance. Keep in mind that the US Department of Justice has stated that there only needs to be one issue for which a facility or entity is not compliant with the ADA laws in order for a complaint to be valid and proceed.
Read MoreIndividuals with lower body mobility limitations may find the Not-a-Wheelchair vehicle helpful as an on or off-road mobility device. The ‘Not-a-Wheelchair’ off-road wheelchair vehicle is fully electric, quiet, with speeds up to 12mph, a range of about 10-20 miles and, the suspension is built for climbing over obstacles!
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