New This Month
Print Article Archives
Reprints / Subscriptions
Editorial Calendar
Media Kit
Popular Features
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus |  | Risk management Fair Housing Risk | | ||
|  Three Lines of Defense Against Risk Keeping Risks Under Control Controlling Transaction Risks Agency Disclosure Avoiding Antitrust Risks Minimizing Liability from Contracts Fair Housing Risks Controlling Personnel Risks Communications Policies to Minimize Risks Insuring Against Risks More Resources: Controlling Business Risks Code of Ethics: Controlling Business Risks | Comply With ADA at the Brokerage Office The provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act don’t apply to most residential housing, which are covered by the Fair Housing Act's prohibition against discrimination on the basis of handicaps. However, because the brokerage office is a place of “public accommodation,” where goods and services are offered to the public, the ADA requires that the office and its real estate services must be accessible to those with handicaps. One of the cornerstones of providing accessibility under the Americans With Disabilities Act is the concept of “reasonable accommodation.” This means that a company will make changes to its facilities and business procedures that are “reasonable” in terms of the time and money involved in the change. Although the act doesn’t define exactly what “reasonable” is, judgments can be based on common sense. For example, it might not be reasonable to knock down a wall of an existing office to widen a door. But if the front of the office were being renovated and the wall was being removed, it would be reasonable to widen the door. 4 Ways to Help Ensure Accessibility 1. Offer to meet handicapped customers in their homes or other accessible public places if your office is not accessible. 2. Offer to take pictures of every room of an open house on your digital camera if the home is not easily accessible to the handicapped. 3. Provide large-print contracts or have the contracts read onto audiocassette for the visually impaired. 4. Locate an interpreter to carry on a negotiation for those with hearing impairments. TIP: A broker does not need to suffer undue costs to make services accessible. For example, writing notes or communicating by e-mail to a hearing-impaired customer making an initial inquiry may be sufficient accommodation; a sign interpreter might not be needed with initial inquiries but brokers may need to go to the extra expense of hiring a sign interpreter at the negotiation stage. TIP: In some instances, businesses are eligible for tax relief to offset the cost of meeting ADA requirements. Check with your accountant. —Risk Management, 2nd edition, Dearborn Financial Publishing, 1998 For more information on ADA requirements, visit the U.S. Department of Justice. Controlling Personnel Risks > | |