What are ADA Mats?

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ADA Mats

The term ADA Mat is not defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pads of Truncated Domes are often identified as “ADA Mats” by contractors or building suppliers. So what are Truncated Domes anyway?

 

Truncated Domes

Truncated domes are a form of detectable warning that serves to alert and protect people with vision impairments from entering into potentially hazardous areas such as streets or parking lots. In many exterior sites, a walk or sidewalk is adjacent to a street and separated by a curb. Truncated domes are not necessary in this condition because the curb serves as a detectable warning (ie. A blind individual can detect the curb and become aware that he is entering into a hazardous area by stepping down to the street). When the pedestrian walk is at the same elevation as the street level, Truncated Domes or “ADA Mats” are needed to serve as a detectable boundary between the safety of a pedestrian walk and the hazardous vehicular area.


ADA Mat

Detectable Warnings can be a contentious subject. They are often incorrectly located, have the wrong color and dimensions, or over-installed. We recommend contacting our CASp Experts if you ever have questions regarding detectable warnings. 

Click Here to receive a free estimate for a CASp Inspection.

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Cory Cabral

Cory Cabral is our co-founder and Senior Certified Access Specialist. He graduated from San Diego State University with bachelors degree in Business Administration. After college he began his career in the sign industry where be became an expert in the field of ADA signage. During that time, he found that many of his clients were being put out of business because of ADA lawsuits. In most cases, the business owners simply did not know that their businesses had barriers to accessibility. He soon began searching for resources to help his clients avoid accessibility lawsuits and discovered the California Certified Access Specialist program. After immersing himself in all aspects of accessibility in the built environment by studying at the CalCasp Academy and the DSA, he became a California Certified Access Specialist. He is now CASp-630 and helps businesses limit exposure to ADA lawsuits by providing them with the resources necessary to make their products and services accessible to all.