ADA Requirement

[Ed]

Chrissy I reside in a manufactured home community in the Central Florida area and I have a question about an ADA requirement. Our community is 20 years old and is owned my a management company. My question is: What are the requirements for persons with disabilities? Are there any? My main concern is the "common areas" such as the pool area and clubhouse. Any information you can share would be great.
Thanks.

[Chrissy Jackson]

ADA requirements according to federal law are that "all public areas be accessible to those with handicaps or that alternative measures be in place." So, if the office is up a flight of stairs, for example, they can make arrangements to bring down whatever they need when talking with a handicapped prospect or resident and be in compliance. If there is no ramp to the clubhouse or other recreational amenity, again, we again look to the federal law, which uses a date of January, 1992 as a benchmark. The law requires the removal of architectural and structural barries in existing facilities where readily achievable if they were built prior to the above date, or providing readily achievable alternative measures when removal of barriers is not readily achievable. Unfortunately for all of us, the law does not define "readily achievable." Further, the law says that any auxiliary aids that would result in a undue burden or significant difficulty or expense or would fundamentally alter the nature of goods or services provided are not required. Hope this helps.