As of 31 October 2008, California has finally certified a number of inspectors under the new Certified Access Specialist inspection program (“ CASp). Prior to this, there was no formal certification program for inspectors and the reliability of the information businesses received varied considerably. There are important benefits under the new legislation ( 2008 SB 1608 ) which prompted this certification. Businesses which pass a CASp inspection may receive special advantages in court proceedings in the less-likely event they are ever sued. If you have a business which is open to the public in California, we recommend that you arrange for an inspection by a CASp inspector as soon as reasonably possible; however, we suggest that you consider the following factor before doing so.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that owners of existing places of public accommodation assess their property to determine accessibility barriers. If the repairs are far- reaching, a scheduled plan for compliance is required. This cost is minimal compared to the cost of a lawsuit and/or fines for failure to comply. Additionally, an accessible property is a more marketable
property.

Get a Professional Site Survey!!! A site survey is the physical inspection by ADA experts to tell you where you stand today and what you need to do tomorrow to become ADA compliant.

The ACT – ADA Compliance Team is ready to deploy a team of professionals to visit your location, take numerous photographs & measurements, then compile an evaluation or “ADA Property Profile” of those areas where your facilities indicate compliance or non-compliance.
If your business provides goods and services to the public, you are required to remove barriers if doing so is “readily achievable”. Such a business is called a public accommodation because it serves the public. If your business is not open to the public but is only a place of employment like a warehouse or manufacturing facility, then there is no requirement to remove barriers. Such a facility is called a commercial facility. While the operator of a commercial facility is not required to remove barriers, you must comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design when you alter, renovate or expand your facility.