ACCESS Update

This is exciting times at ACCESS.  About a month ago Justin Cohen was our speaker at my Rotary club.  His company specializes in Internet marketing.  Justin fell in love with our mission of getting buildings ADA accessible, one building at a time. 


His company works with large corporate firms and he said ACCESS isn't able to afford his company's fees.  However, he believes in our cause and his helping us on his own time.  Under the guiding hand of Justin, he has found smaller firms to help us with our goals.  We hired Tim's company to do our branding.  Alvin is a one person firm and has been hired to do our FaceBook pages. 

I am convinced that Internet marketing is our way of reaching out to more people to get them to join and be involved with our cause.  So, stay tuned to the ACCESS mission of getting buildings ADA accessible, one building at a time!

Give us your questions or thoughts on the above article.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank


The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

How is ACCESS Marketing Its Services?

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I like that question.  Over a year ago we joined FaceBook for the first time in ACCESS history.  We stumbled along like everyone else and our learning curved improved.  A year later, with some success, we are ready for our next move. That will be engaging a company that specializes in Internet marketing.


In the next year I expect you will see some changes as we continute to reach out to the disABLED community with our purpose of helping to get buildings ADA compliant.  In the next few months you will start to see changes including an overhall of our website.  Also expect more ACCESS involvement in our community, provide more resources locally and nationally and more involvement with our superheros...the Advocates.


We are having more fun than we ever expected!  The joy of helping others is overwhelming to us.  Do come and join the ACCESS program of getting building ADA compliant, it is a team effort.

Give us your questions or thoughts on the above article.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank


The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

One Building at a Time

I have a stained glass window hanging in my office window.  It was made by my son and it reminds me of the beauty around us and of family.  As we go about ministering to our fellow man with our God given skills, the joy of watching our family grow is overwhelming.  The greatest joy in my life is when I am helping others.  

You are right.  We are on a mission together and that is simple and direct; getting buildings ADA complaint, one building at a time.  That joy is overwhelming when you think that because of you and the architectural skills and knowledge of ACCESS that one more building will be ADA accessible.  All others will fall in line and follow our lead.

Team with ACCESS, join our family and together we can get buildings ADA complaint, one building at a time.  It will not happen unless we make that first move, together.

Give us your questions or thoughts on the above posting.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank

The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

Are Timeshares Subject to the ADA?

The new DOJ standard that becomes effective in March 2012 and the Access Board’s guidelines with an effective date of September 2004 are the same document.  In the documents there is a section called ‘Define Terms’ and we have some changes:

a)     Residential Dwelling Unit

A unit intended to be used as a residence that is primarily long-term in nature.  Residential dwelling units do not include transient lodging, inpatient medical care, licensed long-term care, and detention or correctional facilities.

b)     Transient Lodging

A building or facility containing one or more guest room(s) for sleeping that provides accommodations that are primarily short-term in nature.  Transient lodging does not include residential dwelling units intended to be used as a residence, inpatient medical care facilities, licensed long-term care facilities, detention or correctional facilities, or private buildings or facilities’ that contain not more than five rooms for rent or hire and that are actually occupied by the proprietor as the residence of such proprietor.

There it is, in the definition.  Timeshares function as primarily short-term in nature so they are transient lodging; And, the jurisdiction for transient lodging is the American with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADA).

Give us your questions or thoughts on the above article.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank

The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  http://www.accessts.net/.

Upcoming Changes at ACCESS

There are changes happening at ACCESS.  We have been getting our feet wet this past year with a marketing program of our architectural accessibility building compliance program for people in wheelchairs.  It has been successful in that we now have over 500 in our data base.  As we start our second year of marketing through our social media network with a  goal of reaching 5,000 in our date base, we are currently in talks with some experts in Internet marketing.

All I can really say at this point is that expect some changes.  There are times in the business world when experts are needed to get the message out to the right people as we do have the greatest program for helping to get buildings ADA compliant.  It is a turn-key program from start to finish, the finish being when we sign that building ADA certification declaring that the building is now ADA compliant.

Our message is clear and specific.  We will assist in getting buildings ADA compliant, one building at a time.  We have a commitment to make it happen at no cost for our professional architectural services because it is an expert work product; all fees and costs are paid for by the building owner because his building was not ADA compliant.  We need to spread the word, so that everyone can avail themselves of our free services.

Tell your friends, become an advocate and together we can get all buildings ADA compliant.

Give us your questions or thoughts on the above article.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank


The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

Making America More Accessible One Building at a Time

We are really sorry that we could not help Michael.  We really tried.  It was a condominium in Florida and the issue was the pool area was not accessible.  We wrote opinion letters and strategy letters concerning the technical issues of the Fair Housing Amendment Act, the American with Disabilities Amendment Act and the American National Standard Institute. 


We sent the above mentioned letters to the first litigating attorney, then a second and finally a third.  We were unable to find a litigating attorney that would take the case, based on the lack of documented case law.  Attorneys love case law and there is NO case law on this subject; and ACCESS knew this going in.  ACCESS believes that no individual should be discriminated against on the basis of a 'disability' in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, faculties, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.  We went in eyes wide open with the intent of helping Michael with his condominium's accessibility challenges.


The architects at ACCESS have for the past 20 years specialized in building accessibility and today we are bringing that knowledge directly to wheelchair users like Michael.  Michael's file has not been closed, it has been put on hold until we have similar cases pending in other States.  Once that happens, we will revisit Michael's case and move forward in assisting him to enjoy the perks of his condominium's amenities.


We're here to help, one building at a time.


Give us your questions or thoughts on the above article.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.  We look forward to hearing from you.


Hank



The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

US Department of Justice Standards - Effective March 2012

We are receiving questions about the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) standard that is becoming effective in March of 2012.  Here are some facts that may help answer some questions:

1. The DOJ is the enforcement agency for the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADA) of 2008, with an effective date of January 1, 2009.
2. The DOJ enforcement of the ADA comes from an executive order.
3. The executive order requires the DOJ to use its standard in their enforcement of the ADA.

So the question now is where does this DOJ The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 in Chapter 126, Section 1201 and (b) is Purpose where the purposes of this Act are (4) standard comes from?

1. There is a U.S. Government agency call the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board).
2. The Access Board is the agency that writes the safe harbor for the design and construction of buildings to be in compliance with the ADA.
3. The Access Board published a document in the Federal Register called the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines; Final Rule on July 23, 2004 with an effective date of September 21, 2004.
4. The DOJ now is required to take this Access Board document and make that document its standard.

I know, we have an Access Board document of 2004 and now we have a DOJ document that say the very same thing with a 2012 date, and if my math is correct, that is EIGHT (8) years later!

1. DOJ must jump through the same “hoops” that the Access Board already did, such as having has having hearings, get input form the community, sending their document to the office of Management and Budget (OMB).
2. The DOJ then publishes its document and call it a standard; and tell everyone that it will start enforcing their standard a year and half later, and that is March 2012.
3. The Access Board, the DOJ, we at ACCESS know the system is broken, and by now maybe the whole country; but, this is our U.S. Government in “action!”  Or, “in action”.

The work product of ACCESS has always been based upon the Guidelines of the Access Board.  Current standards being use since 2004 is the Access Board document of July 23, 2004 with an effective date of September 21, 2004; which is the very same DOJ standard of March 2012.

The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.