ADA Ramps

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed by the U.S. Congress to provide a comprehensive mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities and to provide standards which address discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Under the ADA, accessibility requirements have become much more stringent and broad in scope. The Public Entities provisions of the ADA, or Title II, have the greatest impact on the City. Title II applies the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, plus some new requirements, to all state and local governments. In addition, as an employer and landlord, the City is also directly and indirectly affected by the provisions of Title I and III of the ADA.

This article will briefly look at ADA ramps and the implementation of a compliance program for a state or local government

City Wide ADA Curb Ramp Improvement Plan

A City-Wide ADA Curb Ramp Improvement Plan is a systematic plan to install ADA-compliant wheelchair curb ramps with truncated dome detectable warnings at intersections of City-controlled streets. The end result is providing access to City programs and services for all, regardless of disability.

Many Cities divide the implementation into phases, moving from south to north or east to west. Other City and State implementations of ADA ramps have been more focused on areas where pedestrian traffic is the most consistent. For example, a heavily traveled route from public transportation to a typical daily work destination.

However, when citizen complaints are received about particular intersections, they should be investigated and non-compliant curb ramps re-done or non-existing curb ramps installed as needed.

One manufacturer of detectable warning systems, Armor-Tile www.armor-tile.com offers complimentary consultation for new implementation programs of ADA ramps and insight into the specific application requirements. They are the most trusted name in the industry for Tactile Detectable Warning Systems and have a dedicated group of Sales Consultants throughout the United States. I would recommend calling them to make an appointment and benefit from their extensive experienceworking with other state and local governments.

By
John A. Heffner

 

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