Understanding The ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco

As a business or commercial property owner, you have a responsibility to make sure that your business is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and any local ordinances designed to give disabled individuals equal access to goods and services. One of those local ordinances is the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco. A surprising number of business owners have not heard of this program and are unwittingly breaking the law. However, ignorance is not an excuse, and if you find yourself facing a lawsuit, that won’t be a viable defense. With that in mind, let’s look at how to ensure your business complies with the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco.

What is the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco?

Let’s start by summarizing what the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco actually is. The program aims to make sure that every business in San Francisco is welcoming and accessible to everybody, regardless of their disability. Commercial property owners and those operating businesses serving the general public are required to submit a checklist to the San Francisco Department of Inspection showing that the entrance to their business is accessible. An accessible entrance should not have steps, heavy doors, or any other structural barriers preventing access, for example, narrow doors that a wheelchair or mobility scooter is unable to pass through. The ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco covers public-serving businesses where the public enters the property to purchase goods or services. This might include banks, health clubs, offices, stores, hair salons, medical offices, hotels, restaurants, and many others.

Let’s Talk About the History

The first steps towards putting the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco in motion was when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed Ordinance No. 51-56, better known as Mandatory Disability Access Improvements. In September 2021, that law was amended and became what we now refer to as the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco. The ABE checklist makes it easier for business owners to stay or get compliant with accessibility laws. It is worth noting that the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco is in addition to State and Federal accessibility requirements as per Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

What Do I Need to Do?

In order to be compliant with the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco, your business must satisfy one of the following conditions:

• Request an exemption (religious organizations, private clubs, new builds with a permit filed after January 1, 2022)
• Inform the San Francisco DBI that the entrance is already compliant
• Get your entrances evaluated and renovated to be accessible.

Buildings that are not exempt or waived will fall into one of four different building categories:

• Category 1 - Entrance has no steps and is compliant with the ABE ordinance
• Category 2 - Entrance has no steps but other access barriers such as non-compliant hardware, insufficient door width, or lack of maneuvering space.
• Category 3 - Entrance has one step
• Category 4 - Entrance has more than one step and/or additional access barriers

If you are not exempt and are not already compliant, the next step is to have your entrance assessed by a licensed architect, licensed engineer, or Certified Access Specialist (CASp). They will complete the necessary Category Checklist Compliance Form, which then needs to be submitted to the DBI to confirm your compliance with the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco. If any work needs to be carried out to make the entrance compliant, you will need to file permits and complete the work before obtaining a Certificate of Final Completion.

Choose Protrk For Your ABE Needs

If this sounds overwhelming, there is no need to worry. Protrk Construction Inc. is your one-stop shop for all of your ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco needs. We can send the appropriate professionals to assess your property and complete the required checklist. We can also go ahead and file that for you, produce the necessary designs, and submit permits. Our team can also carry out the essential construction work making sure that it is fully ADA compliant.

Protrk Construction is an ADA design-build company based in the Bay Area, offering a one-stop shop for all ADA construction needs. ADA is the only work we do. We live and breathe ADA guidelines and are up to date on all of the recent changes and additional local and state ordinances, like the ABE Accessible Business Entrance Program in San Francisco. This means that we can guarantee precision and accuracy in every single job. There is little to no margin for error when it comes to ADA compliance; the difference between compliance and a lawsuit can be mere millimeters! Choose an ADA expert and save yourself time and money getting your business compliant.

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Design | Build | Certified

Why Wait to be "Forced" into ADA Compliance. If you are a public business or public property owner, save money, lawsuits, time and headaches by being prepared and avoiding it all in the first place. It’s time to call in the ADA pros. Use Protrk, an ADA construction expert, to Get it Done Right Prior to Forced Compliance. 

Call 415-813-9877 today or visit www.protrkconstruction.com for more details.