Just to let people know, it's "Handicapped". Handicapped. I have a friend who lost his leg, and if you were to ever call him a "Cripple'... well lets just say you'd be beat to death by a one legged man.
As far as Handicap access in public areas, most builders have to follow strict codes for that depending on the zoning. It varies from state to state (here in the US), but it's pretty much the same guidelines as this:
http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/docs/...quirements.pdf