Accessible Health Care Briefs: CHOOSING AND NEGOTIATING AN ACCESSIBLE FACILITY LOCATION

1. a. Private Businesses that Serve the Public

If you own, operate, lease, or lease to a business that serves the public, then, you are covered by the ADA and have compliance obligations for:

• Existing facilities,

• Altered facilities, and

• When a new facility is constructed.

While it is not possible for many businesses, especially small businesses, to make their facilities fully accessible, much can be done without much difficulty or expense to improve accessibility. Therefore, the ADA requires that accessibility be improved without taking on excessive expenses that could harm the business. (See: CDIHP Brief: Improving Accessibility with Limited Resources), www.cdihp.org/products

*Existing facilities are not exempted by "grandfather provisions" that are often used by building code officials.