Blog
Leases & Accessibility – What now?
With the passing of California Senate Bill 1186 and its affect on the Civil Code, there are numerous questions about new lease requirements. Basically if you lease any commercial property from July 1, 2013 onwards, the lease form or rental … Continue reading
Employees Only
So the question that often comes up is, what do we do for employee only spaces? And the answer is, it depends on whether it is an existing employee only space or a new/altered employee only space, whether it is … Continue reading
Lighting – Let the Sun In!
We have heard so much about sun light not being good for us that we have missed the impact of natural light, in particular narrow spectrum blue light, and what it can do for our health and even well-being. We … Continue reading
Signs and Things – Types
In a previous article I provided an overview of the component pieces that go into signs. So the next question is, what components go into what kinds of signs? There are many sign types, each with their own requirements and … Continue reading
Signs and Things – Components
One of the most forgotten elements is signage. Basically it can be divided into three groups – permanent room signs, way-finding, and informational signs, but there are other types as well. Permanent room signs also have requirements for installation location … Continue reading
Elevators
You have an older two-story commercial building and the question is whether you are required to install an elevator. The answer to this, of course, is it depends. If your building has less than 3,000 SF per floor or is … Continue reading
Single Restrooms – What needs to be done?
Let’s say you have single accommodation restrooms in a pre-ADA building which is a place of public accommodation. There are several items to consider. What you end up doing depends on whether or not you have done any alterations to … Continue reading
Alterations To Existing Buildings — How Much Extra Do I Have to Spend?
You are altering an existing building. You know that the portion being altered is required to meet today’s standards of accessibility, but is that all that needs to be done? The answer to that question for the most part is … Continue reading
Cabinetry and Sales & Service Counters
Whether you have a reception counter in an office, a reservation counter at a restaurant, or a sales counter in a store, it does need to be accessible. Since many of these items do not require a building permit, the … Continue reading
Readily Achievable Barrier Removal
There is a common misconception – because a building is old, one is ‘grandfathered in’ so nothing needs to be done to make it accessible. This is not true. Building and business owners are indeed obligated to make places of … Continue reading
