ADA Checklist for Emergency Shelters

H. After Completing the Survey and Checklist

Once you have completed the survey and filled out the checklist, you can determine which elements or spaces in a potential shelter facility are accessible and which may need modifications. If most answers are “yes,” the facility may need little or no modification. If some answers are “no,” modifications may be needed to remove barriers found in that space or element. Emergency shelters in older buildings with inaccessible features might be made accessible with temporary modifications, (such as portable ramps at the entrance and accessible parking spaces marked off by traffic cones) until permanent modifications can be made. However, where facilities are not capable of being made accessible, another facility will need to be selected for use as a shelter.