Person 1
Yesterday I got a call from a woman who was so upset. She took her father to a restaurant for his 60th birthday. He could get into the restaurant but the bathroom was too small. Her father uses a wheelchair. Basically this woman’s question was: “Don’t all restaurants have to be wheelchair accessible?
Person 2
We get this question frequently. If it was built since 1993 it needs to be fully accessible. Do you know when it was built.
Person 1
She said its been there since the 70s.
Person 2
The ADA requires that older buildings be made accessible to the extent it’s readily achievable.
Person 1
Readily Achievable – What does that mean?
Person 2
That’s the phrase in the law. Readily achievable means easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficult or expense.Starting when the ADA went into effect in 1993 business owners and landlords were required to make access improvements.
Person 1
What if they didn’t make those improvements in 1993?
Person 2
Ah readily achievable is an ongoing obligation. Something that was not readily achievable twenty years ago, may be readily achievable now because the business’s finances have improved. Plus they’ve had a few decades to budget the expense. And there are tax deductions and credits available to help.
Person 1
Oh, so it’s all about the money.
Peson 2
Well In the case of the bathroom, there may not be space to make it bigger or moving the plumbing might be extremely expensive. Those issues are taken into account with a readily achievable barrier removal analysis.
Person 1
This sounds complicated, how does the process start.
Person 2
We suggest people survey their facility with the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities which is at www.adachecklist.org. The survey would include parking lots, entrances, restrooms and seating. From there the business and landlord can start planning for access improvements.
