Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The ADA is Federal civil rights legislation written and enacted
to provide disabled people with access and accommodations equal
to or similar to those of the general public. The ADA assumes
that an individual has only one disability. For example, if a
person is hearing impaired, the ADA assumes they are not visually
handicapped also. The ADA went into effect January 26, 1992.
Who
must comply with ADA requirements?
The ADA is Federal legislation and is applicable in all 50 states.
Any person who owns, leases or operates a place of public accomodation
must comply with the ADA requirements for elevator emergency telephones.
How
does Rath Microtech's SmartPhone comply with the ADA requirements?
All SmartPhone models comply with the emergency communication
requirements of the safety code for elevators and escalators.
A preprogrammed emergency number is dialed automatically each
time the SmartPhone is activated. Two-way communication is
established between the elevator
and emergency personnel at a
point either inside or outside the
building.
Location
The SmartPhone can be installed behind or below the car operating
panel in the elevator. It is the responsibility of the installing
contractor to make sure the highest operable part of the emergency
phone is no more than 48 inches from the floor of the car.
Braille/Raised
Letter Labels and Pictogram
Each SmartPhone has all the labels required by ADA. Operating
instructions are provided in Grade 2 Braille and raised letters
that meet all ADA specifications. The international telephone
symbol pictogram appears on the face of the phone in both a raised
and printed format.
Mechanical
Operation
SmartPhone is a non-handset speaker phone activated by pressing
a pushbutton. No tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist
is required. The force required to activate the SmartPhone is 3 LBF (foot pounds).
General
Operation
Voice communication with the emergency service is not
required. The SmartPhone is equipped with the Location
Identification Message feature. This feature is a field
recordable, 18 second message that notifies emergency
services the exact location of the emergency. The message
plays automatically when the incoming call is answered.
The message can be programmed to play once, twice or
until emergency services presses the * key. A sample
message would be:
There is an elevator emergency at 123 Main Street,
elevator number two.
Please send help
A red LED either on the SmartPhone or on the panel face
lights when the phone is activated and flashes when the call
is answered.