If California was a country on its own, it would have the 5th largest GDP in the world. Whether you are a business based in California or you are a business that deals with residents in California, it is important for you to always be in compliance with various laws in the state of California or ca ada. The Americans with Disabilities act came into being in the 1990s but as is the case with everything California, the state has also added to these requirements which means every business operating in California needs to be in compliance with the Chapter 11 – California Building Code as this is the chapter that incorporates the ADA guidelines.
If you are constructing a new building, it will save you a lot of time and money to make sure that your building is in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act as doing it later will cost you a lot of time and money. One of the things you need to understand is that the complaints for a business being not in compliance with the ADA can be filed years after the construction has been over.
Like many other things, the state of California also has the highest number of complaints filed for ADA non-compliance. One of the reasons is that there are a lot of people in California and it has a really high GDP which means there are a lot of businesses that can be sued. However, another important thing you need to understand is that California has made it extremely easy to file a complaint for ADA non-compliance. Anybody can file a complaint and they are required to complete and submit one simple form.
There are no complicated processes or legal procedures to file a complaint. Another reason that has been one of the main causes behind the rise in the number of non-compliance complaints is that the state of California laws allows the complainant to be awarded at least $4000 and additional court costs and attorney fees in case they win the case. In simple terms, businesses will have to pay thousands of dollars in case somebody files a complaint against them for ADA non-compliance and they are unable to defend themselves in the court of law.
If you have a business in California, you need to make sure that it is in compliance with the California ADA requirements. It is important to keep in mind that nobody is going to give a certificate to business owners that their business is in compliance with the ADA requirements. Business owners need to study the law and make sure that they are in compliance and even then, they can be sued and made to pay the legal costs and other fines. There is no certifying authority that can tell someone that they are in compliance.
This is where reliable and experienced ADA consultants come in. These consultants have a lot of experience in this field and have helped hundreds of business owners make sure that they are in compliance with the California ADA requirements.
Some of the most common claims made against California businesses for ADA non-compliance include missing signage for the exits and entrances which means there are no symbols of accessibility. Some of the other common complaints include lack of seating for wheelchair users, parking spaces with incorrect signage, stairways with incorrect heights, bathrooms not being accessible and other such things. Thankfully, an ADA consultant can help California business owners figure out the additions or deletions they need to make to the property in order to make them compliant with the ADA guidelines.
Overall, businesses in California can be sued if they are not compliant with the ADA guidelines, especially California ADA guidelines. California has made it really easy to sue businesses for ADA non-compliance. In fact, hundreds of businesses had to shut shop because they didn’t do anything and thought that nothing could happen. Thousands of businesses had to shell out thousands of dollars in legal fees and fines due to ADA non-compliance. If you are a business owner in California, you need to get in touch with an ADA consultant to make sure your business premises are in compliance which will make your business safe and prevent anybody from suing you for ADA non-compliance.
David Lopresti
David LoPresti, co-owner of ADA Compliance Professionals, brings years of architectural design and ADA compliance experience to the table. With a mother who has had a life-long disability, he has seen first-hand the complexity and challenges of making a property ADA compliant. This experience has led to him dedicating his life to improving ADA access for businesses across California so they can be enjoyed by all.