VITALIA Active Adult Community – Montrose Provides for Disability Independence

July 26^th is National Disability Independence Day, which commemorates the signing of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which happened on July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services.

ADA compliance means the appropriate and reasonable accommodations are in place for disabled persons. This includes things like large print, interpreters, wheelchair ramps, and allowing service animals.

Statistically, there are over 54 million Americans with a form of disability. When that number is broken down, that’s about 19 percent, or one in every five, Americans. As the population grows and ages, this number will only increase, making these regulations increasingly more important.

As the Plant Operations Director at VITALIA Active Adult Community® – Montrose, an ADA-compliant community that serves several individuals with disabilities, I work every day to keep our building accessible and safe.

Since the ADA, things have changed greatly to improve safety for residents in communities like ours. Having these procedures in place help staff and residents learn and help them see how important it is to keep the community safe.

Some of the things we do to be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act includes designated parking and automatic door buttons. We also implement the use of wet floor signs, door alarms, and door signage. Some weekly tasks that take ADA-compliance into consideration are door checks and keeping floors clear of all clutter.

At home, it is important to relay information to family or friends that enter your house if your floors are wet, or something is broken. If you have a pool, having safety signs and equipment at hand is essential.

Our goal in everything we do is to continue providing the best possible accessibility opportunities to everyone within our community.