Hank, do you really like your job?

I have gotten some questions in the past 3 weeks from people that say, "Do you really like your job?"  Boy, do I ever like my job!  This is true because every day I am helping someone new.  I love this "work" because it is so much fun for me. 

In June, Herb and I will be doing an accessibility/DAD training seminar for the City of Phoenix, Sky Harbor International Airport management team.  This will be a 4-hour seminar.  I really like the teaches and the challenging questions from those attending.  After 4-hours, they will go away with a better understanding of the ADA, but there is no way that they will have our knowledge because we have been doing this for 18 years.

The ACCESS program that help the handicapped in wheelchairs get building ADA compliant is called "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs".  We don't expect you to know anything about building ADA compliance, that is our professional responsibility as architects that specialize in ADA compliance.  So you have the strongest team possible to help you get buildings ADA compliant.

Let's get started!  Our professional services are free to you, it's easy, it's simple and it's 100% effective.  I sign that building certification stating that the building is ADA compliant myself! But, you'll need to do your part first by following these 3 easy steps:

1. Book an accessible room with 2 beds with a roll-in shower.
2. Using a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, the roll-in shower, the lobby area and the public restrooms.
3. Take 2-3 photos of the outside of the building including the accessible parking and overall photos of the building.
4. Email the photos and a copy of your hotel bill to ACCESS at hfalstad@accessts.net.

ACCESS will review the photos and determine on whether there is "standing" to move forward with a case filing in the Federal Courts.  That's it.

As always, feel free to comment here or on our FB page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730; or you can call (702) 649-7575 and ask either for me or Patricia; or just send me an email at hfalstad@accessts.net.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Hank

I got a call yesterday from Tom, my dentist.  Now, before he became a dentist he got a degree in aeronautics engineering and worked as an engineer for an airplane manufacturer.  Tom is buying his own building and will be moving the 6 blocks where he will relocate his dental practice.  Tom and I were next door neighbors in the same office building for 5 years and I moved out 3 year ago.  Tom knows that my architectural proactice is limited to compliance tot he Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and this Friday morning I will look at his new building for ADA compliance issues.

We have been doing this for the last 18 years.  During those 18 years, about 5% of our annual business was litigation.  Today, it is 95% becasue of the ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program.  Specifically designed to help those in wheelchairs get buildings ADA compliant, and this is 85% of building in the United States.

So now that you have found us, use us to help you get buildings ADA compliant.  The ADA is a self help program and it only works if you take the initiative.  Contact us.  It's free, it's simple and takes little time, but is 100% guaranteed.  I sign my name to the certification stating that the building is ADA compliant.  Our preset program challenge is the lodging industry: hotels, motels and time-shares.

Follow the basic steps:

1. Book an accessible room with 2 beds and a roll-in shower.
2. Using a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, the roll-in shower, the lobby area and public restrooms.
3. Take 2-3 photos of the outside to include the accessible parking and overall photos of the building.
4. Email the photos and copy of your hotel bill to us at hfalstad@accessts.net.

Once received, ACCESS will review and determine whether there is "standing" to move forward in filing a case in the Federal Courts.

If you haven't join our program yet, we welcome you to join today.  Join the "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program and become a team player in getting buildings ADA compliant one building at a time.  You can comment here or on our FaceBook page at ACCESS Technologies Services, Inc.  Or call us directly at (702) 649-7575 and ask for Patricia or myself; or email us at hfalstad@accessts.net.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank

Why is ACCESS targeting the the Hospitality Industry?

Why are we at ACCESS targeting the hospitality industry?  This is a very good question, thanks Alice. 

As an architect, who has specialized in ADA accessibility compliance for the last 18 years, I have never seen a  hospitality property in ADA compliance, so the likelihood of the hotel, motel or time-share you are staying at of being ADA compliant is probably 98%.  I expect our ADA detail audit to identify 50 or more elements that are not in ADA compliance.  I do not expect you to know these ADA violations, and over time you will know more.  Remember, this has been our business for the last 18 years.  The ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program is your program for getting building ADA compliant.

It is up to you to make it happen, we at ACCESS are your helper!  Here are the first steps to take:

1. Book an accessible room with 2 beds and a roll-in shower.
2. Using a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, the roll-in shower, the lobby area and public restrooms.
3. Take 2-3 photos of the outside to include the accessible parking and photos of the overall building.
4. Email to ACCESS at hfalstad@accessts.net the photos and a copy of the hotel receipt.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink.  Let this be your motivational call to action to get buildings ADA compliant for you and all the handicapped people that will follow.

You can comment here or post on our FB page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  Or give us a call at (702) 649-7575 and ask for Patricia or me; or send me an email at hfalstad@accessts.net.

Hank

The ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program is designed to bring professional accessibility architects who specializes in ADA building audits and ADA building plan checks to the handicapped community of wheelchair users.  With these highly trained accessibility architects on your side wheelchair users can prevail in Federal Court.  Because ADA is Civil Rights Law, there is no cost to those in wheelchairs including fees, attorney costs and attorney experts (ACCESS is an attorney expert).  These costs are paid by the building owners. 

Buildings do not become ADA compliant by "wishing".  The ADA is 20 years old, so if the building is not ADA compliant today, it is because the building owner has made the decision NOT to spend the money to get the building ADA compliant.  The ADA was made a Civil Rights Law to help handicapped persons in wheelchairs, but nothing will happen unless you become responsible to make it happen through the judges in Federal Court.  To not use them is to admit defeat.  ACCESS can only help you if you do not want to join all the defeated users of wheelchairs.  Make the decision not to accept defeat and join the ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program to get all buildings ADA compliant.  Today, our focus is directed to the hospitality industry; hotels, motels and time-shares.  The steps are simple:

1. Call and make a reservation for an accessible room with 2 beds and a roll-in shower.
2. Using a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, the roll-in shower, the lobby area and the public restrooms.
3. Take 2-3 photos of the outside of the building to include the accessible parking and overall pictures of the building.
4. Email ACCESS the photos and a copy of your hotel bill at hfalstad@accessts.net and ACCESS will review and determine on whether there is "standing" to file a case in Federal Court.

Be responsible to yourself and all other handicapped people that will follow to make buildings ADA compliant through the ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program, your program of building ADA compliance.

Comment here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730#!/; or give us a call and ask for myself or Patricia.  Or, if you like, send me an email at hfalstad@accessts.net. 

Hank

ADA: A Civil Rights Law

For all who make up the handicapped community, this is your wake up call.  If you are waiting for the government or someone else to make buildings ADA compliant, it just will not happen.  Congress made the Americans with Disability Act (ADA a Civil Rights Law.  Civil Rights Law is litigated in the Federal Courts and those decisions become the law of the land.  But the policemen for Civil Rights Law is are the people the law is written to protect; and that is the you in the handicapped community.

The ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program is designed by architects with 18 years of specializing in ADA accessibility compliance.  It is easy, simple and not cost to the "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs".  So, be a responsible citizen and do your part in making buildings ADA compliant for you and all wheelchair bound persons that will follow after you.  Wave your hat and feel good about making this a better world for all handicapped people! 

The "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" is concentrating for the next several months on the lodging industry; hotels, motels and time-shares.  By following the simple guidelines below, your efforts would help move forward our cause to get every building ADA compliant one building at a time.

1. Book into an accessible room with 2 beds and a roll-in shower.
2. With a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, the roll-in shower, the lobby area and public restrooms.
3. Take 2-3 photos of the outside of the facility, particularly the accessible parking and overall photos of the building.
4. Email the photos and your hotel bill to ACCESS and we will determine whether you have "standing" to file a case in the Federal Courts.

And, note that we will be with you every step of the way.  And best of all, it's no cost to you.

Get that good feeling of using that ADA Civil Rights Law as it is meant to be used with the ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program, which is also at no cost to you.

Comments or questions, post them here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  Or, you can give us a call and ask for me or Patricia; or send me an email at hfalstad@accessts.net.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank

Join "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs"!

18 years ago I accepted the challenge of understanding a new Civil Rights Law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Over those 18 years I have honed my architectural skills into programs to make the buildings ADA compliant.  I have become troubled because after 20 years since the ADA law was signed I still see so many buildings that are not ADA compliant.  I spent a lot of time studying the reason and have come to the conclusion that building owners do not want to spend the money to get their building ADA compliant. 

As I formatted the business plan for Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS) over a year ago, I wanted to do something about this challenge of getting buildings ADA compliant.  Congress knew this would not happen as a voluntary program, because that had been tried before.  So congress made the ADA Civil Rights Law, giving parties with "standing" direct access tot he Federal Courts.  The ACCESS program took on the name "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs", which is a team effort to make building ADA compliant. 

ACCESS has the architects that specialize in ADA accessibility compliance, with the work product being detailed ADA compliance audits and plan checks of architectural/engineering drawings.  ACCESS also has over 18 years of specializing in ADA accessibility compliance and has seen almost everything there is to see, along with many good solutions for ADA compliance.  That knowledge becomes part of the solution for the owner and the owner's architectural/engineering firm.

After ACCESS ADA plan checks the architectural/engineering firms permit drawings, those drawings are sent to the ADA retrofit contractor for pricing.  After the ADA retrofit construction is completed, ACCESS returns and the architect who specializes in ADA compliance, ADA audits the construction and if ADA compliant issues a certificate stating the building is ADA compliant which brings final closure to the building ADA non-compliant complaint. 

That is the ACCESS program of getting buildings ADA compliant, one building at a time for the "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" and all other handicapped people that will follow.  To get that good feeling, be a team player and become an ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs".  It's fun, it's simple and it takes very little time.  And remember, the service is free!

Think positive and act!  Excuses will never get the needed job done.

Hank

Why are so many buildings still not ADA compliant today?

Why are so many buildings, after 20 years of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, not ADA compliant today?

ACCESS was the ADA consultants for the New York-New York Hotel Casino here in Vegas that was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) some 12 years ago.  As part of the our marketing of ADA professional architectural accessibility services at the time, I called on other large hotel-casino properties.  One conversation I had with an owner, who was also an attorney, told me that they had studied the additional cost of making their new properties ADA compliant.  They decided they could make more profit by not spending the additional money for ADA compliance and take their chances of a letter of ADA non-compliance from the DOJ.  You see, the DOJ may only have a staff of 50 people to enforce compliance to the ADA for the entire country!

ADA non-compliance complaints from individuals were handled by their attorneys with some token retrofits, which was the cheap solution.  Today, we see the same mind-set with property owners.  That is why ACCESS founded the "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program.  The strength of ACCESS is the years of experience of professional accessibility architects with their detail ADA building compliance audits and plan checks, plus years of architectural and construction experience.  All of this is in the ACCESS total ADA building compliance program.  It is designed as a simple "self-help" for the handicapped community.

As I've mentioned in my past postings, to file for non-compliance there is no cost to the handicapped community.  Join our "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program by contacting ACCESS at hfalstad@accessts.net.  It's easy and we will walk you through every step.

1. When traveling, book an accessible room with 2 beds and roll-in shower.
2. Using a color digital camera, take 2-3 photos of the room, roll-in shower, lobby area and public restrooms.
3. Take photos of the accessible parking and overall photos outside of the building.
4. Email the photos and a copy of your hotel bill to ACCESS.

And that's it!  Once received, we will determine whether you have "standing" for an ADA non-compliance filing in Federal Courts.  We will guide you along the way and be on hand for any questions.  We will also keep you fully updated and posted with the proceedings.  Again, all this at no cost to you.

The ACCESS program works because we use the Federal Courts which are available to us because the ADA is Civil Rights Law.  It's your choice.  Do nothing or join the ACCESS "Watchdogs in Wheelchairs" program and help get buildings ADA compliant one building at a time; for you and all other people that are wheelchair bound.

Comment here or on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730.  Or call us at (702) 649-7575 and ask for myself or Patricia; email me at hfalstad@accessts.net.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Hank