Following a presentation to the Korean American Bar Association, Attorney Keith Rozanski was featured in an interview with KBS America discussing what Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance entails, as well as ways in which business owners can minimize the risk of being sued for lack of ADA compliance.
Many disability lawsuits are filed because individuals are denied full and equal access to businesses as a result of construction-related disability access violations, and this is a growing issue, especially in California. “Forty percent of all ADA lawsuits filed in America are filed here in California,” Mr. Rozanski said.
However, recent changes to state disability laws can provide some protections to the small businesses that are sued. Certified Access Specialist Program (CASp) inspectors can classify a property as ADA-compliant, a certification which, Mr. Rozanski noted, will not expire unexpectedly. “If you have your property inspected by a CASp inspector and they certify that it’s compliant or there’s no disability access problem, they’ll give you a certificate, and that’s valid as long as there are no changes to the property,” he said.
Watch the full interview.