How many people living in or visiting Orange County live with some type of disability? Someone may have those numbers, but if there is even one person here who needs accommodations in order to frequent a certain commercial property, it must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Few people would argue that a development needs to be in compliance, but it can be easy to miss something unless the property owner is familiar with what the Act requires.
Developers and property owners may want to educate themselves as thoroughly as possible regarding what the Act and any California laws require when it comes to making sure a commercial property includes the accommodations needed by individuals with disabilities in order to enter and otherwise function within the property. Doing so could not only make sure these clients or customers have access, but also make sure that the property owner does not end up facing fines, lawsuits or expensive remodeling. How is it possible that developers do not already know what the ADA requires?
Even though the Act was signed into law back in 1990, it did not fully apply to commercial facilities until sometime in 2012. The owner of an existing commercial structure may not even know it was not in compliance until someone with a disability pointed it out, which is what the Act requires. If a reasonable accommodation can be made, then the property owner has around 120 days total to get the work done.
It would be better to ensure that a new Orange County development already complies with the ADA from the beginning. Otherwise, it could end up being quite costly to make the required renovations after the fact. For this reason, among others, it would be greatly beneficial to gain as complete an understanding as possible of what is required to remain in compliance before breaking ground on a new project.
