Physical Accessibility

According to Title I of the ADA, it is an employer’s obligation, “to provide access for an individual applicant to participate in the job application process, and for an individual employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of his/her job, including access to a building, to the work site, to needed equipment, and to all facilities used by employees.¹”

Areas in which accessibility modifications may occur include, but are not limited to:

• parking lots (handicapped parking spaces)
• entrances and exits
• fire alarms and emergency exits {internal link to Reasonable Accommodations… Emergency Evacuation}
• conference rooms and shared work space
• desks and personal work space
• hallways
• stairwells
• elevators
• restrooms
• cafeterias

Next Steps

Assemble a team of individuals to dedicate time assessing, planning and implementing accessibility modifications at your workplace.

Seek an expert in accessibility to act as a consultant for your business.

Assess the needs of individuals with disabilities within your workplace.

Assess the existing conditions of your workplace and determine what changes, if any, need to be made.

Resources

The ADA Accessibility Guidelines Homepage offers comprehensive information regarding the requirements for physical accessibility set forth by the ADA.

ADA Standards to Accessible Design

¹ U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; U.S. Department of Justice and Civil Rights, “Americans with Disabilities Act Questions and Answers”