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Why Comply With The ADA ?
- It IS the law! - Let's face it, it has been many, many years since the ADA became law, and courts are looking dimly
on public entities which have not met the law's basic requirements. The ADA is a federal mandate that carries
heavy fines and penalties for noncompliance, not to mention the potential for expensive lawsuits.
- Compliance is financial protection! - Just like driving a car without insurance, it only takes getting caught once
to realize it is much less expensive to comply on your own now than to pay fines and penalties for getting caught,
and then have to comply anyway! And compliance always costs more when you're under the gun, so give yourself
some financial protection: do it now!
- You maintain control of the compliance process - Once you've completed a proper evaluation and have a defensible
ADA plan on file, you have given yourself control of the compliance process (and control of the costs).
But without a legitimate plan, a lawsuit or formal complaint could turn control of compliance (and your budget) to
the courts or an enforcing agency. So get the basics done now, and avoid the possibility of someone else dictating
how and where you spend your money!
- You win in court - Lawsuits are a fact of life in our litigious society, and ADA lawsuits are no exception.
But documented compliance efforts along with the written evaluations and plans required by the ADA provide
your strongest defense in court. By being prepared, you can often remedy a complaint through mediation
or arbitration and avoid unpleasant and costly court experiences!
- It's the right thing to do - Most facilities are more than willing to accommodate the needs of all individuals
regardless of disability, but the ADA's confusing and ambiguous requirements make it difficult to understand
exactly what is required, so most districts take a wait-and-see approach and handle problems as they arise.
Unfortunately, this approach means that those who are too embarrassed or unwilling to ask for accommodation
are often left out, unable to fully participate in programs, services and activities with others. So be proactive.
Do the right thing now!
> ADA Standards for Accessible Design
Acrobat PDF format with formatted text and graphics, and links to figures,
graphics and cross-referenced sections.
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> http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm
This is the ADA Home Page, with information for
businesses and the Disability Act and Standards
<>
> http://www.dredf.org/technical_assistance/forward.shtml
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc.
(DREDF) is a national law and policy center.
<>
"ADA Basic Building Blocks", an introductory web course on the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) that explores the legal requirements and
spirit of the ADA
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