Access Board Issues New Guidelines for Accessible Design

The U.S. Access Board announces the release of new design guidelines that cover access to facilities for people with disabilities under the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The guidelines, referred to as ADAAG, update access requirements for a wide range of facilities in the public and private sectors covered by the law.

While the Access Board’s guidelines are not mandatory on the public, they serve as the baseline for standards used to enforce the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. Other Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. General Services Administration, will use the new ADAAG standards to update accessibility standards applicable to programs and systems. The later would affect one-stop centers and other workforce development agencies funded by the federal government.

The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. It operates with about 30 staff and a governing board of representatives from Federal departments and public members appointed by the President.

The Board's guidelines detail how accessibility is to be achieved in new construction and alterations and provide specifications for various building elements and spaces, including entrances, ramps, parking, restrooms, and telephones, among others. The new design document is the culmination of a comprehensive, decade-long review and update of the Board's ADA Accessibility Guidelines, which were first published in 1991. Revisions have been made so that the guidelines continue to meet the needs of people with disabilities and keep pace with technological innovations. For example, new provisions for ATMs specify audible output so that people with vision impairments are provided equal access, and reach ranges have been lowered to better serve people who use wheelchairs and persons of short stature. The guidelines also feature a new format and organization and have been extensively edited for greater clarity.

As part of this update, the Board has made its guidelines more consistent with model building codes, such as the International Building Code (IBC), and industry standards. It coordinated extensively with model code groups and standard-setting bodies throughout the process so that differences could be reconciled.

The updated guidelines are based largely on recommendations from a Board-established advisory committee. The ADAAG Review Advisory Committee represented a cross section of stakeholders, including representatives from disability groups, the design profession, and building codes organizations. The final version was further shaped by input received from the public, including over 2,500 comments received in response to a previously published draft.

As part of this update, the Board also revised its guidelines for Federal buildings under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. The ABA requires access to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. Under the new guidelines, a more consistent level of access is specified under both the ADA and the ABA.

Copies of the new ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines and other information are available on the Board's website at http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/index.htm.