Common ADA Violations
What are the most common Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations, why are they so common and what should facility managers do to avoid being in violation?
The most common violations are found at every juncture of a facility:
Built Environment: It ranges from curb ramps and ramps that are too steep, the lack of marked parking with a marked access aisle and signage.
Restrooms: The most common violations are toilets not mounted the correct distance from wall or partition, flush valve for the toilet is on the wrong side; if it isn’t on the wide side, you have to reach over the toilet to flush it.
Operations: Most common violations that are operational in nature, including housekeeping/maintenance staff placing a garbage can next to the restroom's exit door. Clear space next to door (a.k.a. maneuvering clearances) is intended to give someone in a wheelchair the space to approach the door, reach the door handle and open the door.
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Women in Commercial Real Estate Study
A 2010 study conducted by Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network found that women make up 43 percent of the commercial real estate industry, an increase from 36 percent in 2005. Two things make this statistic notable. First, women are entering the industry in greater numbers notwithstanding one of the worst economic downturns in U.S. history. Second, women are entering an industry where men continue to out earn and outpace women in terms of advancement.
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Proving Clean: Looking Clean No Longer Makes the Cut
The building services industry is being pushed into the 21st Century by technology that allows hand-held devices to measure bacteria, moisture, air quality and surface slickness, making the days of quick smell-and-sight quality control inspections a thing of the past.
Hand held measurement devices finally provide the cleaning industry the capability to definitively measure how successful it is. “What measuring can be verified and what’s measured allows you to establish a value that before you were unable to establish,” says Allen Rathey, president of InstructionLink/JanTrain Inc., Boise, Idaho. “The big picture is that it is a way to establish value beyond just (saying) we clean your buildings and make them look good and smell good. Now you can say, ‘We can do it healthier and do it cost effectively.’”
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Green Building Market Report: LEED Reach Grows, But Slower than Hoped
Growth seems to be slowing, according to the just released Green Market Impact Report. GreenBiz.com released the report today that charts the progress of registration and certification under LEED standards by the U.S. Green Building Council. Here are some of the key findings:
- Overall growth seen, but not as much or as fast previous years.
- Market penetration is climbing, with impressive international growth. LEED registrations rose by 53 percent overseas and 39 percent in the United States in the past year.
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Top Green IT Users
ComputerWorld magazine published its annual list of top green IT users profiling 12 firms. These firms have done everything from data center visualizations programs to creating an entirely new data center energy management systems. Kaiser Permanente, KPMG and State Street were the top three, stemming from their engagement in green IT across the organization.
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