Recently I came across an interesting approach to accessible beach path signage while on a trip to St. George Island, FL. Look at the photo on the right. What you see there is a sand path to the beach from the parking area. Clearly, sand is not a stable, firm or slip resistant surface for disabled individuals to use. So what they did here was post a sign that says the path is not accessible, and then left a QR code to find the location of a path that is accessible. See the photo below.

On the left side of the photo above, there is an ISA symbol crossed out to indicate this is not an accessible path, and a QR code to use with a smart phone to find the nearest accessible path. This is an excellent example of taking ADA compliance to a higher level.

Remember, the laws in the ADA are minimums. If an entity chooses to go beyond the requirements of the ADA, that’s great. Congratulations to St. George Island for coming up with an innovative way to communicate important information for disabled individuals about these beach paths.

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If you observe a facility that is not ADA compliant and you would like to know how to proceed, please see the link at What To Do When A Building Is Not ADA Compliant or Accessible.

ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, offers ADA/ABA/FHA accessibility compliance inspections for buildings and facilities, as applicable to the different laws, and expert witness services with respect to ADA/ABA/FHA laws for building owners, tenants and managers. Also, ADAIN offers consulting for home modifications as a CAPS consultant for people wishing to age in place in their homes. For a complete list of services please see ADAIN Services.

Thank you.