Parkingclaimscontinuetobeamongthemostcommoncausesofada/Accessibilitylawsuits

ParkingclaimscontinuetobeamongthemostcommoncausesofADA/accessibilitylawsuits–bothbecausetheymayrepresentanabsolutebarrierforsomeonewhoneedsspecializedparkingarrangements(forexample,becausesomeonewhorequiresarampvanformobilitycouldbepreventedfromre-enteringtheirvehicleifanothervehicleparksalongsidetheareawheretheliftmechanismdeploys)andbecausetheycanoftenbesoeasyandinexpensivetofix(i.e.,sometimeslittlemorethanpaintandsignsmayberequired).

ThischecklistcanhelpidentifysomeofthemostcommonconditionsinparkingareaswhichcanleadtoADA/accessibilitylawsuits.BecauseeverypropertyisuniqueandthereisnosubstituteforaninspectionbyaCASpInspector,thefollowingchecklistisnotanexhaustivelistingofallconditionswhichcouldpresentproblemsforpeoplewithdisabilitiesinaparkingarea.

InspectionDate:
InspectionType: / InitialPeriodic / Post-IncidentChangeinProcess

YesNo

Doyouprovideatleastoneproperlyconfigured“vanaccessible”disabledparkingspaceinyourparkinglot?

•Isitmarkedwithaseparate“vanaccessible”sign(i.e.,notonewhichiscombinedwithanyothersign

orsymbol)?

Doyouhavethecorrectdisabled-parkingsignsposted?

Haveyoumeasuredtheslopeofyourparkingarea?Theslopegenerallyshouldnotbegreaterthan2percentinanydirection(thereareanumberoffreeorinexpensiveSmartphoneapplicationswhichcanprovideinformalslopemeasurementifsetto“%”including,withoutlimitation,“clinometer”and“xclinometer”)

Doesyouraccessaisle(i.e.,thediagonally-stripedloadingareaimmediatelyadjacenttoaparkingspaceforapersonwithdisabilities),containaramp?Ifitdoes,considerreplacingthiscommonlawsuittargetwithacurbcutorconsultaCASpthroughyourattorneyaboutrelocatingtheparkingareasothattherampisnotintheaccessaisle.

Dothediagonalstripesineachofyouraccessaisles(i.e.,theloadingarea(s)immediatelyadjacenttodisabledparkingspaces)contrastwiththesurfaceonwhichtheyarepainted(blueandwhitepreferred)?Forexample,iftheasphaltinyourparkingareaisblack,thediagonalstripesshouldbewhite,butifthe cementonwhichtheyarepaintedisgray,thenthestripesshouldbeblue.Someexpertssuggestpaintingblueandwhitediagonalstripesside-by-sidetoeliminateanypotentialclaimsofnoncompliance.

Didyouposttheproper“towaway”enforcementsignageateachdisabledparkingspace,oreachentrancetotheparkingarea?

Becausesomepeoplewithdisabilitiesarriveusingpublictransportationorotherwisefromthesidewalk,isthereacompliantpathoftravelfromthepublicsidewalktoboth(1)eachdisabledparkingareaatyourproperty,and(2)eachentrancetoabusinessatyourproperty?Ifthereisnopublicsidewalk,arethe pathsmentionedintheprecedingsentenceavailablefromthe“publicway”(i.e.,theprimarymeansmostmembersofthepublicusetoreachyourbusiness)?

Ifthefrontdoorisnotvisiblefromyourdisabledparkingarea,orifyourdisabledparkingareaisnotvisiblefromthestreet,doyouhavedirectionalsignstoshowvisitorstheshortest,safestroute?

Doyouhavethenew“MINIMUMFINE$250”signsappropriatelypostedateachdisabledparkingspace?

Isyourdisabledparkingarealocatedintheclosestpossiblelocationtotheprimarycustomerentrancetoyourbusiness?Or,ifthereareanumberofdifferententrancesorbusinessesatyourproperty,havethe disabledparkingspacesbeenappropriatelydispersedthroughoutthecomplextominimizethedistancesomeonerequiringsuchparkingarrangementswouldhavetotraveltoreachtheirintendedlocation?

Doyouhavethecorrectnumberofboth“regular”andthewider“vanaccessible”disabledparkingspacesfortheoverallnumberofparkingspacesinyourlot?Seethechartbelow.

TotalNumberofSpacesforCustomers/VisitorsinParkingLot / MinimumNumberofRegularDisabledParkingSpaces / MinimumNumberof“VanAccessible”ParkingSpaces
1to25 / 0 / 1
26to50 / 1 / 1
51to75 / 2 / 1
76to100 / 3 / 1
101to150 / 4 / 1
151to200 / 5 / 1
201to300 / 5 / 2
301to400 / 6 / 2
401to500 / 7 / 2
501to1000 / 2%oftotal / 1inevery6disabledspacesmustbe“vanaccessible”
1001andover / 20plus1foreach
100over1,000

Arethepathstoandfromyourdisabledparkingareaconfiguredsothatuserscanaccessthemwithoutpassingbehindanyvehicleotherthantheirown?

Isthereacompliantpathoftravelfromeachdisabledparkingspacetoanaccessibleroutetoeachcustomerentrancetoyourbusiness?

Ifyouhaveanysignspostedinanareawherepeoplemightwalk(particularlysignsmountedonpolesorsuspendedfromabove)isthelowestpointofeachsuchsignatleast80inchesabovethewalkingsurface?

DoeachofyourdisabledparkingspaceshavetheInternationalSymbolofAccessibility(the“ISA”orwheelchairpictogram)paintedattherearofthespace,withthewheelchairpictogramitself(netofanyborders)atleast36inchesby36inches?Isitoutlinedinwhite?

Doeseachofyourdisabledparkingspaceshaveawheelstopinstalledwiththeedgefacingthebackofthe space24inchesfromthefrontofthespace?

CorrectiveActionRequired(listactiontobetaken,bywhomandbywhatdate)

CorrectiveActionPersonResponsibleCompletionDate

CalChamberdoesnotprovidelegal,taxordesignadviceandyoushouldcontactaqualifiedattorneyastoanymatteroflegalsignificancetoyou,yourbusinessoryourproperty.