Online Registration for this event is now closed. Please register at the door.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
8:15-8:30 am Registration
8:30-10 am Presentation
SF Chamber Boardroom
235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor
Understanding Your ADA Requirements
How to Affordably Comply and How to Prevent a Lawsuit
There are five different laws that govern disability access requirements. Due to the complexity and often conflicting requirements many small businesses are unaware that they are not in compliance. As a result many small businesses have fallen victim to disreputable opportunists filing drive-by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits for profit, not for the benefit of customer and employee disability accommodation. Throughout California 4,800 lawsuits have been filed since 2005.
In San Francisco the number of cases is around 300 and growing, with some businesses being sued multiple times. These lawsuits have sharply increased in the last few years, forcing some businesses to close. Greater awareness and education about the ADA and compliance solutions might have kept these businesses open. Join us for this seminar and learn how to eliminate your risk of a costly lawsuit.
During this seminar, you will learn:
• The legal obligations of a business under the ADA
• What makes your business vulnerable to a lawsuit
• Low-cost solutions to avoid a lawsuit
• What to do if you have been sued
• The role of an “accessibility specialist”
• The financial resources (loans and tax credits) available to businesses in San Francisco
• Updates on proposed legislation to ease the pressure on businesses to comply with the ADA
Presented by
This seminar is presented by the Lawyer Referral and Information Service of the Bar Association of San Francisco in collaboration with the San Francisco Office of Small Business. The panelists are Jane Gong, Project Manager, Office of Small Business, City and County of San Francisco, Martin H. Orlick, Attorney Expert in ADA Compliance, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP, and Bassam Altwal, CASp Inspector Principal, Cal Accessibility. The panel is moderated by Carole Conn, LRIS Director of Public Service Programs.
Register Online Now. Cost: $25 for Chamber members, $35 for prospective members if paid by June 15th; $5 additional after June 15th and at the door. Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund. For more information please contact Nadia Chan at 415-352-8803. A light breakfast will be provided.