• New ADA Accessibility Guidelines Cleared for July Publication
• Board to Organize Advisory Committee on Courthouse Accessibility
• Board to Hold Public Meetings in Chicago in October
• Research Underway on Surfacing Treatments for Play Areas and Trails
• New Edition of ANSI Standard Published
• Report Issued on International Workshop on Wheeled Mobility Aids
• TSA Posts Updated Tips for Air Travelers with Disabilities

New ADA Accessibility Guidelines Cleared for July Publication

On June 25, the Board cleared its last hurdle before moving to publish updated accessibility guidelines for facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The Office of Management and Budget, the Federal government’s regulatory clearinghouse, approved the new guidelines after a 120-day review. The Board is now preparing the document for publication, which it plans to release on July 26, the 14th anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law.

The new document overhauls and updates the ADA Accessibility Guidelines and includes a number of revisions both large and small.  It marks the first full-scale update of the guidelines, which were originally published in 1991 on the first anniversary of the ADA.  The published rule also will include updated guidelines for Federal facilities, which are covered not by the ADA but by an earlier law, the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).  Both the ADA guidelines and the ABA guidelines, which the Board updated jointly to make them more consistent, address access in new construction and alterations and contain scoping provisions, which indicate what has to comply, and technical specifications, which spell out how compliance is to be achieved. 

The published guidelines will not be mandatory on the public.  Instead, they will serve as the baseline for enforceable standards (which are mandatory) maintained by other agencies.  These other agencies, such as the Department of Justice under the ADA, must update their standards according to the Board’s guidelines.  In doing so, they will indicate when the new requirements must be followed.  The existing standards are to be used until the effective date specified for the new standards. 

The Board will post the guidelines on its website once they are published and will provide print copies free upon request.  Technical assistance on the guidelines will be available through the Board’s toll-free line, and the Board will offer training on them at various events across the country in cooperation with other organizations.  Requests for training on the new guidelines or existing Board guidelines and standards should be directed to Peggy Greenwell, the Board’s training coordinator, at (202) 272-0017 (v), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or training@access-board.gov (e-mail). 

The traditional design of courthouses, particularly courtrooms, poses unique challenges to access for persons with disabilities.  Most courtrooms feature a variety of elevated spaces, including witness stands, jury boxes, and judges’ benches, within areas limited by the well of the court and spectator seating.  Determining the best way to provide access to these spaces can be difficult.  The Board is undertaking an effort to develop information on courtroom design that addresses these and other aspects of accessibility as part of an outreach initiative that will highlight and promote access to courthouses.  While the Board has established guidelines for courthouses under the ADA which cover access to courtrooms, many have sought guidance on how compliance can best be achieved.  Additional information will be helpful that explores new or innovative design solutions.   

At its May meeting, the Board approved a plan to establish an advisory committee to gather and develop this information.  Advisory committees allow for a cross-section of different interests and stakeholders to advise the Board on particular issues.  They have played an instrumental role in the Board’s development of guidelines and standards.  However, this committee will not be tasked with making recommendations for new guidelines.  Instead, its mission will be to advise the Board on issues related to the accessibility of courthouses, particularly courtrooms, including best practices, design solutions, promotion of accessible features, educational opportunities, and the gathering of information on existing barriers, practices, recommendations, and guidelines.

Through a notice published in the Federal Register on June 25, the Board requests applications for representatives to serve on the committee.  The Board seeks to include members representing designers and architects, disability groups, members of the judiciary, including judges and court administrators and organizations representing them, the codes community and standard-setting entities, government agencies, and others with an interest in the issues to be explored.  The committee will be structured to represent a balanced cross-section of different interests. 

The published notice, which provides instructions on submitting applications, is posted on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/courthouse.htm.   Print copies can be ordered by calling the Board’s publication order line at (202) 272-0080 (press “2,” then “1”) and requesting publication S-44 (Courthouse Access Advisory Committee notice).  Persons using a TTY should call (202) 272-0082.  Those who would like the notice in an alternate format should specify the desired type (cassette tape, Braille, large print, or computer disk).  Applications must be received by August 24, 2004.  The Board will follow-up with a notice announcing those named to the committee and the date of its first meeting.  For further information, contact Elizabeth Stewart of the Board at (202) 272-0042 (v), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or stewart@access-board.gov (e-mail).

Every year the Board holds a public meeting in a different city to discuss various aspects of accessibility and the work of the Board.  These town meetings typically focus on topics that relate to the Board’s rulemaking agenda and allow members of the public to discuss issues of accessibility with Board members in an informal setting.  They also provide an opportunity for Board members to visit sites and explore access issues in greater depth.

Chicago will be the site of this year’s meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for October 27 - 29.   The meeting will be used to further advance and promote Board initiatives concerning passenger vessels, courthouse accessibility, and international outreach.  As part of its work on new guidelines for passenger vessels, the Board will hold an information meeting on its passenger vessel rulemaking.  Materials related to this rulemaking will be released in advance of the meeting.

The Board also intends to visit area judicial facilities to help promote its outreach initiative on access to courthouses.  The Board is also exploring plans to participate in the Fifth International Conference on Justice Design that is being held in Chicago at the same time.  Organized by the American Institute of Architect’s Committee on Architecture for Justice, the conference will focus on growing challenges and opportunities justice-system professionals and design professionals face in designing court facilities for the future.  To further its work on international outreach, the Board will meet with representatives from Canada and Mexico to discuss collaborative initiatives on promoting accessibility. 

Surfacing at play areas poses challenges to accessibility since materials must be used that are suitable for cushioning falls yet firm and stable enough for wheelchair maneuvering.  Choosing materials that are sufficiently accessible is also an important consideration when developing outdoor trails.  Guidelines the Board issued under the ADA for play areas address surfacing and reference industry standards for impact attenuation and wheelchair maneuverability.

The Board is sponsoring research on enhancing the accessibility of engineered wood fiber, a popular surfacing material, and various binding agents that can enhance its usability and reduce maintenance.  This study, which was initiated in 2002, is being conducted by the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory.  In Phase I, researchers analyzed various surface treatments that had the potential of enhancing the firmness and stability of engineered wood fiber.  Laboratory testing was conducted on 18 different test bed configurations.  The results narrowed the viable candidates down to 8 configurations for further testing in Phase II, which involved four-foot test beds in Madison, WI that were exposed to a wide range of climatic conditions for 12 months, including freeze-thaw cycles, rain, and heat.  Based on the results, two binding agents (a synthetic latex and a polyurethane) were selected for further testing in Phase III.

Phase III of the study, now underway, involves full-scale field assessments at playgrounds in Madison, WI, Berkeley and San Diego, CA, and Loudoun County in northern VA.  The Madison test site, installed last fall, also includes a beach trail.  Field-testing at these sites will be conducted over a 12-month period.  For further information on this study, contact Bill Botten (202) 272-0014 (v), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or botten@access-board.gov (e-mail).  A report on Phase I, “Improved Engineered Wood Fiber Surfaces for Accessible Playgrounds,” is posted on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/research&training/play-surfaces/report.htm. 

The published report summarizes submitted papers, presentations, and major findings of the workshop.  Papers presented included a critical review of recent anthropometry research of wheeled mobility users and assessments of trends and issues in wheeled mobility technologies, disability data and demographics, and lift and ramp technologies. There were also presentations made on related research from other countries, anthropometry and accessibility guidelines, long-range research plans, and human modeling software.  The findings include recommendations to the Center on a project to develop a database on human measures that will take into account the various types of mobility aids now in use.  The report, as well as workshop’s papers and the presentations, are available on the Center’s website at www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/space workshop/.  For more information, contact the Center at (800) 628-2281 or rercud@ap.buffalo.edu (e-mail).

Access Currents is a free newsletter issued by the Access Board every other month by mail and e-mail. Send questions or comments to news@access-board.gov or call (800) 872-2253 ext. 0026 (voice) or (800) 993-2822 (TTY). Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000; Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.