About the Board

About the Board Header Graphic

Mission

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. Key responsibilities of the Board include:

developing and maintaining accessibility requirements for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology
providing technical assistance and training on these guidelines and standards
enforcing accessibility standards for federally funded facilities

More about the Board: Board Members and Meetings, History of the Board, Board Rulemaking, FY 2003 Annual Report, FAIR Act Inventory, EEO Data

Laws

Several different laws are key to understanding the work of the Board, including the:

Architectural Barriers Act, a law requiring access to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds.

Rehabilitation Act, which created the Access Board.

Americans with Disabilities Act, a major civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in the private and public sectors.

Telecommunications Act (Section 255), which requires access to new telecommunications and customer premises equipment where "readily achievable."

Rehabilitation Act Amendments which amend section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure access to electronic and information technology in the Federal sector.

Policies and Procedures

Reasonable Accommodation
Fragrance-Free Policy

Services

What can the Access Board do for you? Various services are available on this site:

Accessibility Guidelines and Standards All Board guidelines and standards (including information on those upcoming) are located on this section of the site. To download copies, go to the Publications section.

Technical Assistance, Training, and Research If you have questions about any guideline or standard, get technical assistance at this section of the site. You can also get information here on the Board’s training and research programs.

Publications Board publications, including its guidelines and standards, can be downloaded here. They are provided in text, HTML, and PDF formats.

Enforcement Concerned about access to a facility that may have been federally funded? The Board enforces standards covering such facilities. Find out more on this section of the site. There’s also information on other laws and links to enforcing agencies.

Links If we don’t have the information you need, we can help you find out who does through our annotated list of resources.

Updates How can you be kept up-to-date on Board activities? Get on our e-mail update list or subscribe to Access Currents, the Board’s free bimonthly newsletter.