ADA-compliant modifications for Texas businesses
Ramps, doorways, restrooms and entrances brought up to ADA Title III — with a free compliance walkthrough first. A first-time violation can cost a business up to $75,000.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. This civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of public life — jobs, schools, transportation, and every public and private place that is open to the public. Its purpose is to make sure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
Title III of the ADA covers public accommodations and commercial facilities. It sets the minimum accessibility standards for alterations and new construction, which means public businesses and buildings must remove barriers to entry for people with disabilities, and make “reasonable modifications” to the way they do business when serving them.
How soon do modifications have to be done?
Two facts decide most conversations we have with business owners. Businesses with 14 or fewer full-time employees are exempt from the ADA’s employment rules — but Title III applies to any place open to the public, whatever its size. And a first-time violation can cost up to $75,000, with repeat violations up to $150,000. In existing buildings, barrier removal is required wherever it is “readily achievable” — easily accomplished without much difficulty or expense.
Modifications that should be made
Installing ramps and making curb cuts in sidewalks and entrances
Widening doorways and installing accessible door hardware
Rearranging tables, chairs, displays and shelves to open a clear path
Adding raised markings on elevator controls and accessible signage
Installing grab bars in toilet stalls and rearranging restroom partitions
Insulating lavatory pipes and installing a raised toilet seat and full-length mirror
Repositioning paper-towel dispensers, shelves and telephones
Creating designated accessible parking spaces with a level route to the entrance
Installing a platform lift or elevator where steps cannot be ramped
Our accessibility consultants know the ADA standards inside out and help get your business up to code quickly and easily. The full ADA checklist for existing facilities is published by the U.S. Department of Justice at ada.gov.
Free compliance walkthrough
We walk the property, list what fails, and price what fixes it. Houston, Austin and San Antonio.