The Civil Engineer's Role in Mitigating ADA Disputes in California

The State of California has developed a new program (S.B. 1608) to assist people with disabilities to gain greater access to businesses and, at the same time, help business owners certify the accessibility of their establishments to their customers with disabilities. This paper provides an overview of the current Certified Access Specialist program (CASp) in California, briefly describes how similar programs operate in other states and countries, and also discusses whether the program is fulfilling expectations for people with disabilities as well as for business owners. Finally, this presentation looks at case studies showing the important role civil engineers can play, either alone or in concert with architects and other professionals, to provide accessible constructed environments.