Milton, GA
Home MenuDisability Accommodations and Accessibility
People with disabilities are relatives, friends, and fellow citizens, as well as potential customers and clients. And you’ll find them most anywhere, including Milton – with some of their disabilities evident, and others not as obvious to the naked eye.
Accommodating people with disabilities is about being a good neighbor. It’s also good business; the more people who can access your store, salon, office, or other establishment, the more they can spend. Lastly, there’s also the law. Abiding by what’s in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as fire and life safety requirements of Milton’s fire code, can protect you from legal liability.
The City of Milton’s role in accommodating people with disabilities is limited to its part in the new building review process as well as annual inspections of commercial buildings by inspectors from the Milton Fire-Rescue Department. Regardless, the City wants businesses, especially, to be aware of why it’s important to make their establishments accessible to all as well as what they can do to further that effort.
To learn more ADA standards for accessible design in buildings and facilities – and how they relate to your business – click HERE.
There are many things you can do to make your property more accommodating to people with disabilities. These include:
- Handicapped parking spaces near an entrance
- Accessible routes to-and-from the buildings (i.e. wheelchair-accessible ramps)
- Computer programs/software that people with disabilities (including the blind) can use
- Restrooms that the disabled can use, such as with rails and appropriate flush levers
- Clear signage so that people know about the accessibility features
- Lobby windows, drinking fountains, and more that someone in a wheelchair can reach
- Alarms that include flashing lights (so a deaf person can know it’s going off)
- Braille signage, for those with vision problems
- Overhead signage, for the hard of hearing
For more on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act -- including design standards, guidance, resources, and more – go to www.ada.gov.
If I work in an older building, must it have the same features as a new one?
Not necessarily, but – under the ADA – employers must make “reasonable accommodations” so employees can work there even if they have disabilities.
Who enforces ADA compliance?
The federal government – specifically the U.S. Department of Justice – enforces the ADA. (City governments, like in Milton, do not.)
What role does the City play when it comes to disability accommodations?
In new buildings, the City’s Building Department ensures that a structure complies with City Code. They can also advise the developer on what can be done to ensure a building is ADA complaint. In addition, the City’s Fire Marshal’s office plays a role in ensuring all people – including those who have disabilities – can safely get out of a public/commercial building in a crisis. These measures overlap with ADA guidelines.
If I suspect a business is not ADA compliant, what can I do?
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/. Still, before you do, the complainant can first contact the City’s Chief Building Official (Gary.Mullinix@miltonga.gov); the City can work to find a resolution without the need for Federal intervention.
If you have other questions, email Gary.Mullinix@miltonga.gov, and we in the City will do our best to answer them.