{"id":233,"date":"2010-07-07T23:30:27","date_gmt":"2010-07-08T03:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asapgeneralcontracting.com\/?page_id=233"},"modified":"2010-07-07T23:30:27","modified_gmt":"2010-07-08T03:30:27","slug":"maintaining-accessible-features-in-retail-establishments","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/asapgeneralcontracting.com\/?page_id=233","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining Accessible Features in Retail Establishments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maintaining Accessible Features<\/p>\n

in Retail Establishments<\/p>\n

Jacksonville\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Duval County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 904-346-1266
\nSt Augustine\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 St Johns County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 904-824-7144
\nOrange Park\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Clay County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 904-264-6444
\nJacksonville Beaches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Duval County\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0904-246-3969
\nFernandina\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nassau County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 904-277-3040
\nMacclenny\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Baker County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 904-259-5091
\nPalm Coast\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Flagler County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 386-439-5290
\nDaytona\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Volusia County\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 386-253-4911<\/p>\n

GAINESVILLE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ALACHUA COUNTY\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 352-335-8555
\nServing all of Florida \u00a0and Georgia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 at \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0904-346-1266<\/p>\n

EMAIL <\/strong>LARRY@1STPROP.COM<\/a> (feel free to email your bidding packages here)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Introduction<\/p>\n

More than 50 million Americans with disabilities are potential customers for retail businesses across the country. These 50-million-plus customers, along with their families and friends, patronize clothing boutiques, mall outlets, grocery stores, and more, if the businesses are accessible. This market grows even larger if the 78 million baby boomers in this country \u2013 who do not always require but benefit from accessibility \u2013 are included. Accessibility makes good business sense: an accessible retail establishment brings in new customers and keeps them coming back again and again.<\/p>\n

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses that serve the public to remove barriers from older buildings and to design and build new facilities to provide access to customers with disabilities. A key component of ADA compliance is maintaining those features so they remain usable. Businesses spend money to remove barriers. And, businesses need to protect that investment. Even brand-new buildings designed for complete accessibility can become inaccessible without proper attention. If key elements \u2013 often including the parking, building entrance, route into and through the establishment, access to the store\u2019s goods and services, restrooms, cashier stations, and egress \u2013 are not maintained, then access is reduced or eliminated. A poorly placed trashcan or a locked door can make a building unusable. Now that is a waste of money.<\/p>\n

This document identifies ways that businesses can maintain their investment in access with little or no extra cost. Issues will vary, of course, with individual retail establishments.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Inoperable elevators, locked accessible doors, or routes that are obstructed by furniture or merchandise make buildings inaccessible to and unusable by customers with disabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Visit the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s ADA Business Connection<\/a> website at www.ada.gov<\/a> for more information about accessibility in retail establishments, including \u201cReaching Out to Customers with Disabilities<\/a>,\u201d the Department\u2019s ADA online course.<\/p>\n

Accessible Parking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\"Illustration:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clearing snow from all elements of an accessible parking space is essential to keeping it usable.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In order for an accessible parking space to be usable, all elements of the space must be free of obstructions: the vehicle space, the access aisle, the curb ramp, and the route that connects the parking to the accessible entrance of the building. Lack of maintenance of any one of those elements can make the whole space inaccessible. For example, for a wheelchair user to exit her car, she must place her wheelchair in the access aisle, transfer from the car seat to her wheelchair, and then roll backward in the access aisle to provide clearance to close the car door. If another car parks in the aisle or if a plow loads the aisle with snow, the wheelchair user does not have sufficient room to get out of her car. That parking space the owner just paid to have correctly restriped is now useless to her.<\/p>\n

Maintenance List<\/p>\n