What Business Owners Need to Know About Handicap Parking

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If your business provides parking to the public, you will need to make sure your parking facilities comply with the standards specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. Our team at Coastal Contract Hardware has extensive experience in helping businesses update their facilities to meet accessibility guidelines, and we have put together this article to go over some key information you need to know about handicap parking.

What Business Owners Need to Know About Handicap Parking

  • Number of Spaces – The ADA’s guidelines on handicap parking require a minimum number of spaces to be handicap accessible based on the total number of spaces in your garage or lot. For example, if your parking lot has 25 or fewer spaces, then only one space needs to be designated for handicap parking. In contrast, a larger facility with 101-150 spaces must have at least 5 handicap spaces.
  • Placement of Spaces – Handicap parking spaces should be placed as close to the entrance of your business as possible, as the goal is to minimize the distance a person with limited mobility must travel. In addition, handicap parking spaces must have easy access to a ramp by which disabled individuals can access the sidewalk.
  • Aisle Spacing – ADA handicap parking guidelines also require handicap parking spaces to have accessible aisles in between adjacent spaces. The aisle space is there to ensure users of wheelchairs and other mobility devices have enough room to unload their equipment by themselves—if cars were allowed to park right next to the handicap space, then these individuals would not be able to get their assistive devices out of their vehicles.