A Guide to ADA Compliance in Colorado
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires all Colorado businesses to provide individuals with disabilities the same access to products and services as all other customers. If you own a business in Colorado and have questions about how to be ADA compliant, you will find answers in this guide.
What Is ADA Compliance in Colorado?
The ADA makes it illegal for any business, organization, or other entity to discriminate against any person having a physical disability. Because the ADA is federal, all states, including Colorado, are subject to the standards and laws contained therein.
All qualifying businesses must comply with the ADA under its five titles, which are:
- Employment
- Public Services
- Public Accommodations
- Telecommunications
- Miscellaneous
To meet Colorado ADA standards, a business or organization must make reasonable accommodations to ensure access to all disabled persons. These accommodations must not place undue hardship on the business owner or the business’s operation.
Are You Required to Be ADA Compliant in Colorado?
The Amercians with Disabilities Act applies to any business with 15 or more employees. This includes private businesses, as well as those at the local, state, or federal level that rely on the general public.
However, there are also some businesses that are considered to be exempt from the requirements of the ADA. These include:
- Places of worship
- Facilities historically exempt from civil rights law
- Religious organizations and the daycares and schools they run
- Private clubs
This is not an exhaustive list; consult the ADA for more information about businesses that are required to comply.
In addition to existing businesses, Colorado ADA requirements also include the new construction of business buildings. The act goes into great detail with regard to acceptable doorway widths, degree of rise for ramps, and much more.
What Happens if Your Colorado Business Isn’t ADA Compliant?
Colorado businesses who are found to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act face significant fines, even for their first violation. The allowance for an initial violation is up to $75,000. If a business doesn’t correct the compliance issue or is found to be non-compliant in additional ways, they can incur as much as $150,000 for each violation.
The consequences of non-compliance also include court fees, which a business may be ordered to pay when charged with a violation by a disabled individual. Finally, not making your business or organization accessible to people with disabilities can also harm your reputation, resulting in irreparable damage.
How Do You Become ADA Compliant in Colorado?
Complying with Colorado ADA requirements means ensuring that any barriers to disabled persons are removed. A barrier can be intangible or physical.
The removal of an intangible barrier may include ensuring that existing computer software, equipment, or devices allow for access by people with disabilities. Work schedules can also be modified, or a job restructured to ensure access by disabled persons.
Physical barriers to access by disabled persons may include the installation of ramps, placing of detectable warning devices, and the widening of doorways to accommodate wheelchairs.
What Products Can Help You Achieve ADA Compliance?
There is a wide range of products that can help people with disabilities to safely and efficiently navigate and access your Colorado business. Audible alerts, Braille, and wayfinding systems can assist those with visual disabilities.
Individuals with hearing disabilities can benefit from lighting systems and graphic tiles. Detectable warning surfaces like tactile panels and radius tactile systems provide alerts to disabled persons of upcoming surface changes or dangerous areas.
Enhance Access and Safety with an Industry Leader
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits Colorado businesses and organizations from discriminating against disabled persons by requiring that they make their locations accessible. Not complying with this federal legislation can expose a business to hefty fines and high legal costs, as well as cause damage to your business’s reputation.
If you’re a business owner looking for products to help you meet Colorado ADA requirements, no further than ADA Solutions. We possess over two decades of experience in the detectable warning surface industry and are dedicated to designing and producing products that are innovative and of the highest quality. We design, manufacture, and install:
- Tactile panels, which provide unmistakable warnings with raised domes
- Radius tactile systems to alert disabled individuals to changes in contour
- Photoluminescent systems, which provide visual alerts
- Wayfinding surfaces to provide assistance with navigation
- Graphic tiles that use color, artwork, and raised domes to communicate information
We accomplish all of these goals and more on-site from our own ISO-9002 facility. It is there that we design, test, and manufacture our products to the strictest standards. Having full control over all stages of the process allows us to manufacture each and every piece with confidence.
By choosing only premium-quality materials to make our products, we ensure that they can stand up to exposure to sunlight, weather, and heavy foot traffic for the long term.
In addition to producing superior products, we also provide unparalleled customer service, as well as the longest warranty in the industry: seven years. Discover more about the benefits of working with ADA Solutions at our website.
