The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes many obligations on businesses and property owners. Ensuring that facilities are reasonably accessible for those with debilitating medical conditions is a part of ADA compliance.
Not only does the business need to be accessible, but the parking arrangements need to be accessible as well. Those patronizing a business typically arrive in independent transportation and need to transition from the vehicle to the business space.
Ensuring that there are accessible parking spots is a key element of ADA compliance. Not only do businesses need to have a minimum number of parking spots reserved for those with disability placards or license plates, but the parking lot typically also needs to feature access aisles for van access.
What is an access aisle?
Typically, accessible parking spaces use blue paint as opposed to the white or yellow used for standard parking spots. Van-accessible parking lots may also feature an adjacent space marked with diagonal lines in the same blue paint. That secondary open space is an access aisle.
No one should park there. The purpose of that space is to allow people in wheelchairs to enter or exit vans safely. In some cases, two adjacent accessible parking spaces can share the same access aisle. Even if a parking lot only accommodates one vehicle, it needs to contain one van-accessible parking space.
The number of accessible spaces increases with the overall size of the parking lot. At least some of the accessible parking spots need to have access aisles. The size of the aisles depends on the design of the parking space. If the accessible parking space is extra wide, at least 132 inches wide, then the access aisle only needs to be 60 inches wide. If the parking space is under 132 inches but at least 96 inches wide, then the access aisle needs to also be at least 96 inches wide.
Planning for access aisles in addition to accessible parking spaces is important when erecting new facilities or remodeling existing ones. With the right planning, new and growing businesses can prevent allegations of ADA violations.
ADA non-compliance can result in five- or six-figure penalties as well as reputation damage for a business. Reviewing existing facilities with a skilled legal team and learning more about ADA regulations for parking lots can help businesses ensure that companies have appropriately accessible facilities.