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New ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines Cleared for Publication
July 2004
The Access Board recently received approval to issue 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 on June 25 after a four-month review. The Board plans to publish the new guidelines on July 26, the 14th anniversary of the ADA's enactment into law.
The new rule marks the first full-scale update of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) which were originally published in 1991. The final 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.
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.
Further information is posted on the Board's website.
Dave Yanchulis
The Access Board
(202) 272-0026 (v); (202) 272-0082 (TTY)
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