Recently while in South Carolina for a trial regarding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance I came across a law office building that has significant violations with ADA compliance. Please look at the photo on the right. What you are looking at is a parking area at the law office and the rear entrance to the facility. But what’s wrong?

HINT: There has to be at least one.

Any Title III facility with a parking facility must have at least one accessible parking space and access aisle, and at least one Van Accessible parking space. These can be one in the same. However, in the photo above, you are looking at the rear of this law office where the public and employee parking is located. What’s wrong is that there are not any accessible parking spaces at this facility! None! And at least some of these lawyers working for this law firm work on ADA cases.

At least the accessible route to the rear entrance in the photo above appears OK, but note that there is no International Symbol of Accessibility at the rear door. Humm. Could this be the only door? I think not. Look at the photo below. This is a photo of the front of the building where there are three entrances, none of which is accessible due to a step in the walkway leading to each door.

The photo below is a closeup showing the step in the walkway to the middle entrance.

So the entrances at the front of the facility are not accessible. And there are a total of 4 entrances at the facility. The 2010 ADA Standards require at least 60% of public entrances to be accessible. The 1991 ADA Standards require at least 50%. So at least 2 entrances must be accessible, minimum. Furthermore, none of these entrances are marked as accessible with the ISA, or with directional signs for those that will remain non-accessible.

SUMMARY: There is a lot to be disappointed at this facility when it comes to ADA compliance. And this is a law office where lawyers that litigate the ADA work. How can that be? Surely these lawyers should be aware of these violations. And we have not even looked inside yet. Why does this happen?

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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.