The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) contains two important components that are relevant to NATSO members: First, it establishes design requirements for the construction or alteration of public facilities including travel plazas and truckstops. These requirements are intended to ensure that these facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. View NATSO's member only The Americans with Disabilities Act – Design Requirements: Summary And Compliance Guide For Truckstops and Travel Plazas for a brief summary of the most important components of the ADA’s design requirements for NATSO members.
Second, it prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability. Click here for a brief overview of the ADA’s employment discrimination provisions.
NATSO members have significant exposure under the ADA’s requirements simply because travel plazas and truckstops are easy targets for plaintiffs – potential violations can be spotted without even exiting a vehicle in so-called “drive-by” lawsuits. Often times, plaintiffs’ lawyers look for minor, easily correctable ADA infractions and threaten small businesses with lawsuits via vague, threatening letters.
NATSO actively supports legislation that would, among other things, provide business owners with the opportunity to remedy alleged ADA infractions before being saddled with legal fees.
The NATSO Foundation has also prepared a more detailed Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Toolkit for NATSO members. NATSO members can view and download it here.
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