Whether you own a shop or operate a workshop, providing accessible parking to your clients and others coming to your place is your legal responsibility in terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every property owner must see that there is a parking lot in the place that is accessible to people with disability.
Even while re-sealing and restriping the parking lot, you need to see that you adhere to the Ada requirements parking. It is a good idea to see that everything in your parking lot is laid out as given in the act. This may include parking lot size, location, signage, size of the spaces, etc.
However, you also need to keep in mind that the ADA requirements may change a few years down the line. Previously, ADA stalls of 5’ width were enough; however, the new stipulations have raised the minimum to 8’ wide with a 2% or less slope in every direction.
Factors To Keep In Mind
Indeed, you need to keep so many things in mind while designing or renovating your parking lot. Here is a list of the most crucial things you should keep in mind to avoid receiving an ADA notification.
- States may have different ADA laws. So, you need to make sure that you are up-to-date about the laws of your state before you repair, redesign, or renovate your parking lot according to Ada requirements parking features. For example, in Minnesota, the requirements for stall dimensions are different from other states. This means that every stall in Minnesota is accessible for vans. So, van-accessible signs are no longer needed here.
- Business owners often leave some telltale signs of non-compliance with ADA parking requirements. Anybody can notice such things with aerial photography or drive-by views. Things like having a pedestrian ramp within the access side of the aisle, inadequate number of ADA stalls, missing or inappropriately placed signs, not having an access aisle, or having a very narrow one, are some of the most common things that can raise a red flag pretty easily.
- There are some complex issues like the slope of your stalls etc that are harder to detect and hence you may not need to be too finicky about them.
- If you are looking to get future-ready, you may make your parking lot ready for EVs, although the ADA does not have any clause for EVs yet. In the future, the ADA may incorporate laws to provide accessible parking spots for EVs.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, Ada’s parking requirements go beyond a few specific ordinances. They may change in the future in response to requirements. Yet, some stipulations are basic to the enforcement of the ADA such as the number of stalls, their width, slope, etc. Just make sure that you have the basics right. To be ADA compliant, you really don’t have to invest a lot of money. The law just requires that businesses should remove architectural barriers in their facilities that can prevent access to public accommodations, like, banks, hotels, stores, and restaurants, without any trouble or expense. Due to that, it does not require a business owner to spend large amounts of money on, construction, to make their facilities, accessible for meeting ADA compliance.