Posted April 29, 2013
An unfortunate and ill-timed lawsuit can certainly damage the reputation of your business, both short and long term. Whereas these situations may at times seem unavoidable, certainly a lawsuit concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be avoided by being proactive rather than reactive in your compliance with this law. Here are three major tips in helping your business to best ensure compliance with the ADA:
Keep Up With The Times - You may have been proactive when you initially had those wheelchair ramps professionally installed decades ago. But, have you inspected them lately to make sure they're still up to code? All structures wear down over time and anything related to disability access should be inspected periodically to make sure it still meets regulations. Some examples are; wheelchair ramps, handicap parking spots that may have faded lines or deterioriating signage, access to sidewalks and other entry ways can wear and become dangerous, and of course there is much, much more. Be smart; regularly examine and inspect your building for all these potential problems.
Train Your Employees - One of the best ways to keep your business ADA compliant is by raising awareness among everyone that works for you. If you train your employees on how to best respond to requests for accomodations or questions regarding ADA, you are very likely to avoid any severe problems or litigation stemming from these issues. A nice side benefit of a well-trained workforce is that one of those sharp and aware employees may just notice a crumbling walkway or not-so-new wheelchair ramp and take action before anything undesireable happens.
Work With Only The Best - Perhaps the best way to avoid any potential problems regarding the ADA is by hiring an ADA expert to work with you, proactively rather than against you reactively. It is recommended to hire someone to routinely inspect your place of business on an annual basis. This serves the dual purpose of showing good faith, should an unfortunate situation arise at any time in the future as well.
