ALEXANDRIA, Va. - NACS is
again representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry in the standards
development arena, having been accepted as a full voting member onto the
International Code Council (ASC A117) Consensus Committee on Accessible and
Usable Buildings and Facilities.
The committee is
responsible for setting minimum building codes that are accepted in all 50
states and the District of Columbia, as well as developing the ICC A117.1, an accessibility
standard that ensures buildings accessible to people with disabilities. The
Department of Justice (DOJ) adopted these building codes and standard during
the development of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
"It is important that NACS
members are represented during the process of creating new accessibility codes
and standards," said Corey Fitze, NACS director of government relations.
"Convenience stores are unique in so many ways, it is essential that we have an
expert in not only ADA architecture but also an architect who has worked on
thousands of convenience stores to advocate practical solutions on behalf of
NACS?? members."
NACS is being represented
on the committee by M. Bradley Gaskins, principal and COO of The McIntosh Group,
a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based firm that is licensed in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia to provide accessibility solutions for clients. Gaskins is a
nationally known ADA compliance expert with extensive knowledge of not only the
regulations, but also the convenience store industry.
"I am proud to represent NACS as a member of a
committee focused on accessible and
usable buildings and facilities," said Gaskins. "The McIntosh Group will
help educate NACS and its members on new technical requirements developed by
the committee. My objective is to share, with the committee for their
deliberations, the potential impact of the standards on NACS members and
continue to advocate for commonsense solutions."