ADA Compliance

The ADA became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life. (Source: ADA National Network)

ADA Compliance
The National Restaurant Association recently released their "Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance" Tool-kit. NRA/GRA members can download the tool-kit for FREE.

The 2010 ADA standards apply to new construction and alterations starting on or after March 15, 2012. Since Title III of the ADA also requires businesses to remove barriers to guests wherever it is readily achievable, businesses should use the new standards for guidance when they remove existing barriers to guests.

Whether you're building a new restaurant, renovating a current location, or removing existing barriers to guests with disabilities, make sure you are in compliance! The tool-kit includes:

• An overview of Title III of the ADA, which prohibits restaurants and other places of public accommodation from discriminating against guests with disabilities
• Specifics on the new federal accessibility guidelines, which set new ground rules defining everything that makes a restaurant "accessible," from restrooms to signage, elevators, ramps, parking spaces and more.
• A checklist that you can use in your restaurant to evaluate such features as dining areas, self-service counters and children's play areas.
• What to do if you are sued under the ADA.
• Guidance on new regulations covering the use of service animals and mobility devices in restaurants.

​
Click here for FAQs on Service Animals and the ADA.