Portable Sanitation Association International

7 I PSAI Association Insight, September 15, 2021 hardship by handicapped guests or site inspectors. Here is a story related to the PSAI by an operator regarding situations like this. "We were doing an event at a city hall in a small community. The estimated crowd size and length of the event suggested 12 units and 1 ADA unit would be required. The customer, however, was adamant that the 12 units were fine since they would be hidden from view behind a wall that was almost exactly the size of the units. They therefore had no need of the ADA and would merely have signage that ADA facilities were located inside the building. This distance was about 25-30 yards away. We cautioned them on the fact that handicapped individuals could see this as a hardship in that it took them farther away from the event. The customer was adamant in this matter. After consulting with others in our company, we drafted a simple letter that stated that this arrangement was not in line with our professional opinion and that the event coordinator would accept all responsibility should there be any problems or repercussions. The coordinator hesitated and signed the letter. The next year, the same coordinator took our advice about the entire placement plan. I don't know if they were reprimanded, cited, or fielded complaints but their attitude definitely changed." Access to portable restroom trailers in the field. Trailers are a big investment for portable sanitation companies, and they are often the pride of any organization's fleet. Yet many of them are not ADA-compliant. In recent years, some large restroom trailer models have incorporated ADA sections that lower to the ground and offer the same amenities available in the rest of the trailer. In addition, smaller trailers that sit closer to the ground are sometimes equipped with ADA-compliant ramps that lead to a similarly-equally equipped restroom area as that of the other compartments in the trailer. Although these options and others are available on several trailer models designed to accommodate accessibility requirements, one trailer manufacturer flatly tells the PSAI they haven't sold particularly well. Yet the topic of trailer accessibility was extremely high on the list of concerns for all the operators cited in this article. The spirit of the ADA is that persons with disabilities should have access to substantially the same experience as able-bodied people in ADA-covered facilities and situations. As professionals in our industry are aware, trailers typically have toilets that flush, running water, and a climate- controlled environment. • Placement should be near the standard units. If the terrain is prohibitive, the ADA-compliant unit should be as close as possible to the standard units. • The company has large and readable wheelchair decals on the units. They also suggest to the customer that additional signage be placed near the bank of standard units or at any other appropriate location that is strategic in order to inform everyone that handicapped facilities are on site and how to find them. • The company emphasizes that standard curbs impede the ability of a handicapped individual to reach the unit unless a ramp is present. One way to deal with this without a separate ramp is to place a bank of units near the sloped area of the curb that is indeed for handicapped use. The large unit can then be placed on the flat area of the curb designed for wheelchair accessibility. • As with standard units, handicapped units need to be placed so that they can be easily delivered, serviced, and picked up. Always discuss placement details and options with your customers. Due to the size of these units and the fact that the floors rest entirely on the ground, it is important to be sure the customer takes into account the need for a large, completely flat surface for the unit to rest upon. If a flat spot for the ADA unit is a good distance away, let the customer know this could be construed as an unacceptable ADA Compliance and the Portable Sanitation Industry: Issues for Operators (continued from page 6) (continued on page 8) 4.

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