5 Tips to Keep Your property ADA Compliant
You will probably need a contractor well-versed in Americans With Disabilities Act rules to fully bring your parking lot and entrance routes into compliance. There are, however, several basic tips that can help you keep your property in compliance.
1. Ramp Location Matters
Curb ramps are a necessity in many cases to create accessible routes from your parking lot to your business. They don’t do much good, though, if you don’t position them correctly.
First, make sure the area in front of the ramp is clearly marked “no parking.” Curb ramps are functionally useless if there is a car parked in front of it.
Access aisles next to accessible parking spots are a great place to put curb ramps. If others are necessary, make sure the area in front of them is clearly marked.
2. Avoid Gravel
Surfaces must meet minimum levels of stability and firmness for a route to be considered accessible.
Concrete and asphalt meet the standard. Wood and tile generally do, too.
Gravel? Well, it gets more complicated there.
Use of binders or compaction can make gravel surfaces ADA compliant, but they require a lot of maintenance. The easiest way to ensure that your surfaces remain ADA compliant is to go with concrete or asphalt.
3. Keep Obstructions Off Sidewalks
You must have a 3-foot-wide path to qualify as an accessible route under the ADA. That means 3 feet wide without obstructions.
That means no signage, no overgrown landscaping, etc.
One thing that can infringe on that 3 feet? Cars that pull up too close to the curb and have their front ends hang over the sidewalks. Consider adding parking blocks to prevent cars from pulling too far forward if this could be an issue at your business.
4. Don't Forget Handrails
If a ramp goes up more than six inches, it needs to have handrails.
There must be 3 feet of space between the handrails, and the rails should be about 3 feet off the ground.
5. Remember to Have Van Spots
Having regular accessible parking spots isn’t enough. Know the rules regarding van accessible spots.
Van accessible spots need to be three feet wider, either by having a wider parking spot or by having a wider accessible aisle. This is so that there is room for vehicles with ramps and lifts.
Smooth Paving Knows ADA Rules
If you have any questions about ADA compliance or any of our other concrete or paving services, contact us today.