Scams – A little over a year ago A to Z Inspections was suddenly inundated with calls regarding ADA compliance. As I ask questions; I learned that each business had received a letter from an attorney basically saying: “this step, door, ramp, etc. is not compliant, hampered/distressed my client… if you will send me a check for $1500 and fix this issue, we will let it go.”
As I visited with different callers and businesses, I determined that it was one disabled person driving from place to place to find a problem so his attorney could mail a “demand” letter. I would call them crooks but today’s world might be more gracious. No one involved really cared about fixing a problem, it was simply a “professionally cloaked extortion”.
The steps to take if you get the letter:
Immediately call Brenda Penner Hoefer, pronounced “Hay-fur” with the Oklahoma Office of Disability Concerns at 405-522-6701. When I called Brenda, she had seen the same scam. She will be helpful her e-mail is Brenda. hoefer@odc.ok.gov.
Who You Gonna Call?
General questions and concerns about ADA:
Brenda Penner Hoefer: Office of Disability Concerns 405-522-6701
Jack Werner, A to Z inspections, ICC Certified ADA Compliance Evaluator 405-406-1790
Buying or building
Visit with your architect first. They will know ADA requirements. If you are getting an existing building; you need an ADA Compliance Evaluator. That is ICC (International Code Council) certified. A to Z inspections is ICC certified 405-406-1790. Engineers and architects can also usually provide this service.
Simplicity
Government regulations are frequently a pain, but we have to comply. Please, you already have 98% of the cost of the work done after you comply with the requirements… go just a little further, do just a little more because you want to show appreciation and caring for everyone. Hire a disabled person, I suggest one in a wheelchair, to test drive your facility. Pay someone you know a couple of $100 to check out every publicly accessible area, room, hallway, pool, etc. (Don’t know anyone? Call me. One of my ADA inspectors is in a wheelchair.) Here are a few things we found that were compliant… but couldn’t be used:
- A bathroom door hung on the wrong side so a person in the wheelchair had to do double work to open the door and get inside.
- A disabled parking space in a downtown garage, nicely marked, good location, and plenty wide, could not be used because the overhead concrete support column blocked the wheelchair lift arm from working period
- A well-appointed luxury hotel had done everything right but when the wealthy wheelchair client tried to get in bed, he couldn’t! The hotel was very proud of its high end ultra thick mattress that to a person in a wheelchair, it was like having to climb into a monster truck.
We would kick ourselves if we spent thousands to be in compliance but really weren’t accessible.