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What Is ADA Construction?

What Is ADA Construction?

10 August 2022 By Admin

You probably already know that ADA is short for the Americans With Disabilities Act, but what does it mean in terms of construction work? In short, ADA construction relates to any type of construction work or general contracting work carried out to ensure that a property complies with the building standards outlined by the ADA. This might include accessing walkways, ADA compliant ramps, handrails, guardrails, or even accessible parking. There is a very small margin of error, and the difference between ADA compliance and a federal lawsuit can be just millimeters. Let’s take a closer look at ADA construction and why you need an experienced ADA concrete contractor to help you meet the necessary requirements.

Why Are Accessibility Standards Required for Construction?

The main mission of the ADA is that public and private businesses must provide equal access to everybody who needs to use their services and amenities regardless of any disability. If shops, doctor’s offices, hotels, restaurants, and other buildings are not accessible to those with disabilities, it creates a barrier that stops them from participating in everyday activities. This is why the ADA has set out a minimum standard of accessibility for public and private entities to achieve. It should be noted that ADA requirements do not apply to religious entities, residential properties, and private clubs. Still, they are encouraged to voluntarily offer accessibility even though it is not required by law. An ADA concrete contractor can help you to make the necessary changes to remove existing accessibility barriers.

Guidance for New Construction

Under the current guidelines, the new construction of public and private businesses must adhere to the minimum requirements described in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Any renovation work carried out also needs to meet those same requirements that new construction does, regardless of when the property was originally built.

Existing Facilities

There is no such thing as a ‘Grandfather Clause’ when it comes to the ADA. However, existing buildings are not held to the same standards as new construction. All buildings, even those predating the passing of the ADA in 1990, must remove accessibility barriers if they are considered readily achievable. What exactly does that mean? In simple terms, ‘readily achievable’ means that it can be down reasonably easily and without too much expense. For example, it is not readily achievable if you have to demolish an entire wall of the property to make adjustments, but it is readily achievable to install appropriate ADA complaint doorways and ramps to make the building accessible to all. An ADA concrete contractor can work with you to devise a plan for readily achievable barrier removal. It is relatively common for older properties to have narrow doorways, round doorknobs, and a lack of accessible parking. These are all things that can be easily rectified with the help of an experienced ADA concrete contractor like Protrk Construction.

What About Public Facilities?

So what does this mean for public facilities such as schools, courthouses, and other state or local government buildings? These buildings are covered by Title II of the ADA and are obligated to provide accessible service to all, regardless of when the building was built. That may mean taking steps to remove accessibility barriers with the help of an ADA concrete contractor, or it may mean offering an alternative means of providing equal service to those unable to access the facility physically. An example of this could be moving services to another part of the building, such as a lower floor, to make it accessible to disabled people.

Why Choose an ADA Concrete Contractor?

You may be wondering why it is so important to work with an experienced ADA concrete contractor rather than any other general contractor. The answer is simple. ADA guidelines are extremely complex, and there is almost no margin for error. Just a few millimeters can be the difference between ADA compliance and facing a federal lawsuit. General contractors may not have the up-to-date knowledge to make sure that you are fully compliant. However, a dedicated ADA concrete contractor only does ADA construction work, and is, therefore, able to keep current on any change to the guidelines and make sure that your property is in compliance.

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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.

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Being involved in ADA design and construction has given me the opportunity to help a lot of business owners and commercial property owners prevent costly ADA compliant lawsuits.

Mike Schaeffer

Owner & Founder Protrk®

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