Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA is a federal civil rights law signed into legislation on July 26th, 1990 by President George Bush.

It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

It is designed to make American society more accessible to persons with disabilities.

The ADA laws became enforceable in 1992 and 1993.

The ADA is divided into 5 parts, regulating: Employment Public Services Public Accommodations Telecommunications Miscellaneous

Possible changes may include restructuring jobs, altering the layout of workstations or modifying equipment. Employment aspects may include the application process, hiring, wages, benefits.

Relates to public transportation, buses, trains and even private buses and vans.

Refers mainly to accessibility requirement of public buildings including: Hotels, restaurants, auditoriums,

shopping centers, banks, hospitals, museums, libraries, educational facilities, child care centers, and recreational facilities

This is the section that designers focus on.

An accessible route is a continuous, unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces in a building or facility. This includes pathways, corridors, doorways, floors, ramps, elevators and clear floor space at fixtures.

MYTH: ADA requires business to spend lots of money to make their existing facilities accessible.

FACT: ADA law requires that public accommodations remove architectural barriers in existing facilities when it is “readily achievable” (Can be done “without much difficulty or expense.” Easy steps include adding ramps, installing grab bars, lowering paper towel dispensers, rearranging furniture, installing offset hinges to widen a doorway, painting new lines to create an accessible parking space.

MYTH: The government thinks everything is “readily achievable”.

FACT: Not true: Installing elevators is not considered “readily achievable.” Maybe there isn’t room to add a ramp, the business could provide curb-side service.

What does the term "readily achievable" mean?

It means "easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense."

Q. What does the ADA require in new construction?

A. The ADA requires that all new construction of places of public accommodation, as well as of "commercial facilities" such as office buildings, be accessible. Elevators are generally not required in facilities under three stories or with fewer than 3,000 square feet per floor, unless the building is a shopping center or mall; the professional office of a health care provider; a terminal, depot, or other public transit station; or an airport passenger terminal.

Under general rules governing lawsuits brought by the Federal Government, the Department of Justice may not file a lawsuit unless it has first unsuccessfully attempted to settle the dispute through negotiations.

The Department may file lawsuits in Federal court to enforce the ADA and may obtain court orders including compensatory damages and back pay to remedy discrimination. Under title III the Department may also obtain civil penalties of up to $55,000 for the first violation and $110,000 for any subsequent violation.

An individual with a mobility disability alleged that a Virginia restaurant failed to provide equal access for people with disabilities who drive to the restaurant and enter through the parking garage. The restaurant placed signage directing people with disabilities to the accessible entrance and to the accessible toilet rooms, provided an accessible door threshold, adjusted door pressures, and removed a protruding object in the bar area.

The Department reached an agreement with the Kansas City Downtown Hotel Group LLC to ensure that the facilities of the Kansas City Marriott are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Kansas City Marriott is a large hotel complex with two towers containing a total of 983 guest rooms and a number of bars and restaurants. Under the agreement, the hotel will create an additional eight accessible guest rooms dispersed among all classes of sleeping accommodations, bringing the total number of rooms accessible to people with mobility disabilities and people who are deaf or hard of hearing to 29. The hotel will also provide an accessible counter at the reception desk, ensure that guests who are deaf are provided with a communication kit with visual notification devices, make the 12th Street Pub accessible, provide house and pay telephones in the lobby that are equipped with volume controls and are hearing-aid compatible, and furnish a TTY at the reception desk with appropriate signage to indicate its availability.

Explains graphic conventions used in figures

Refers to various standards that are incorporated into the document

Definitions

Explains which facilities must complyExemptions allowedNumber of accessible wheelchair

spaces, parking spaces, drinking fountains, toilet compartments, telephones, assistive listening systems, guest rooms, boat slips, playground equipment.

302: Floor or Ground Surfaces 303: Changes in Level 304: Turning Space 305: Clear floor or ground space 306: Knee and Toe Clearances 307: Protruding Objects 308: Reach Ranges 309: Operable Parts

402: Accessible Routes 403: Walking Surfaces 404: Doors, Doorways, and Gates 405: Ramps 406: Curb ramps 407: Elevators 408: Limited use elevators 409: Private Residence Elevators 410: Platform Lifts

502: Parking Spaces503: Passenger loading zones504: Stairways505: Handrails

602: Drinking Fountains 603: Toilet and Bathing Rooms 604: Water closets and toilet

compartments 605: Urinals 606: Lavatories and Sinks 607: Bathtubs 608: Showers 609: Grab Bars 610: Seats

702: Fire Alarms703: Signs704: Telephones705: Detectable Warnings706: Assistive Listening Systems707: Automatic Teller Machines708: Two-way Communication

Systems

802: Wheelchair Spaces, Companion Seats and designated aisle seats

803: Dressing, Fitting and Locker Rooms 804: Kitchens and Kitchenettes 805: Medical Care and Long-term Care

Facilities 806: Transient Lodging Guest Rooms 807: Holding Cells and Housing Cells 808: Courtrooms 809: Residential Dwelling Units 810: Transportation Facilities 811: Storage

902: Dining Surfaces and Work Surfaces

903: Benches904: Check-out Aisles and Sales

Counters

1002: Amusement Rides 1003: Recreational Boating Facilities 1004: Exercise Machines and Equipment 1005: Fishing Piers and Platforms 1006: Golf Car Passages 1007: Miniature Golf Facilities 1008: Play Areas 1009: Swimming Pools

http://www.ada.gov/mycountryvideo/hi_speed_qt/mycountrydslgallery.htm