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Americans With Disabilities Act: Does Your Fence Need To Comply?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed by President Bush on July 26, 1990, is historic and landmark legislation to extend civil rights protection to people with disabilities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government services, public transportation, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and telecommunications.

Places of public accommodation and commercial facilities, like fences around employee or public parking, need to meet ADA requirements. Additionally, gates used by the public would also have to meet such requirements.

When designing your commercial or industrial fence, be sure to ask your fence company what the specific requirements are and what measures need to be taken to meet the ADA criteria. Failure to meet ADA requirements are not only costly and time consuming, but also illegal. However, ADA requirements are easily implemented and should not greatly alter your original design.