Report on Inspections for Compliance 

with the Public Access Provisions of 

the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Conducted Under 

The Congressional Accountability Act 

General Counsel 

December 2002 Office of Compliance 

— 

United States Congress 
Report on Inspections for Compliance 

with the Public Access Provisions in 

the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Conducted Under Section 210 of 

the Congressional Accountability Act 

Prepared by:


Cheryl Polydor


Acting General Counsel


Michael R. Lemov


Deputy General Counsel


Earlene Sesker


Accessibility Specialist


U.S. Access Board


General Counsel 

Office of Compliance 

— 

United States Congress 
December 27, 2002 

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert


Speaker


U.S. House of Representatives


H-232, The Capitol Building


Washington, D.C. 20515


The Honorable Robert C. Byrd 


President Pro Tempore of the Senate


United States Senate


S-311, The Capitol Building 


Washington, D.C. 20510


The Honorable Alan M. Hantman, AIA


Architect of the Capitol


The Capitol, SB-15


Washington, D.C. 20515


Dear Mr. Speaker and Senator Byrd and Mr. Hantman: 

Section 210(f) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, requires that the General 

Counsel of the Office of Compliance inspect the facilities of the Legislative Branch at least once 

each Congress, to ensure compliance with the public access provisions of the Americans with 

Disabilities Act of 1990, and to submit a report on the results of the inspection. 

I am please to advise you that the inspection conducted during the One Hundred-Seventh 

Congress has been concluded, and that the mandated report has been prepared and is submitted 

herewith. 

In preparing this report, the General Counsel’s Office has received competent and useful 

technical assistance from the U.S. Access Board, for which I wish to express my appreciation. 

Sincerely, 

Cheryl Polydor 

Acting General Counsel 

Enclosure 
Table of Contents 

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................ 1


II. INTRODUCTION ....................................................... 2


III. 	 WHAT THE PUBLIC ACCESS PROVISIONS 


OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REQUIRE .................. 3


A. Access to Public Programs, Services and Activities ....................... 4


B. Removal of Structural Barriers to Access ............................... 5


C. Effective Communication ........................................... 7


IV CONSULTATION WITH DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUPS ..................... 8


V. 	 STATUS OF PHYSICAL ACCESS AND IMPROVEMENTS SINCE LAST


INSPECTION .......................................................... 8


A. Entrances ........................................................ 9


B. Curb Ramps ..................................................... 10


C. Hallways and Major Activity Areas ................................... 10


D. Elevators ....................................................... 11


E. Restrooms ...................................................... 12


F. Other Public Facilities ............................................. 13


G. Visual Alarms/Emergency Evacuation ................................ 13


H. Signage ......................................................... 14


V. STATUS OF COMMUNICATION ACCESS ................................ 15


A. Captioning of House and Senate Proceedings ........................... 15


B. Legislative Information on the Internet ................................ 15


C. Visitor Information on the Internet ................................... 17


D. Tours and Other Service for Visitors .................................. 17


E. Providing Information in Alternate Formats ............................ 18


F. Interpreters ...................................................... 18


G. Assistive Listening Devices ......................................... 19


H. Telecommunication Services ........................................ 19


i 
VII. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................. 20


A. Signage Improvements ............................................. 20


B. Restrooms ...................................................... 21


C. Visual Alarms ................................................... 21


Appendices 

Appendix A - Individual Building Reports -


U.S. Capitol Building ...................................... A-1


Russell Senate Office Building .............................. A-9


Dirksen Senate Office Building .............................. A15


Hart Senate Office Building ................................ A-21


Cannon House Office Building ............................. A-26


Longworth House Office Building ........................... A-32


Rayburn House Office Building ............................. A-38


Other Facilities .......................................... A-44


Appendix B - The Inspections - Personnel and Methods 

Appendix C - Americans with Disability Act Standards 

Appendix D - Disability Rights Organizations Providing Comments 

ii 
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (“CAA”) requires the General Counsel to 

inspect covered facilities in the Legislative Branch at least once each Congress for compliance 

with the public services and accommodations provisions in Titles II and III of the Americans 

with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and to report the results to the Speaker of the House, President 

Pro Tempore of the Senate, Office of the Architect of the Capitol, and any other entity 

responsible for correcting violations. See Section 210(f); 2 U.S.C. Section 1331(f). This Report 

to the 107th Congress is the third such Report of the General Counsel. 

The public services and accommodations provisions of the ADA, as applied by the 

Congressional Accountability Act, prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, and require 

that people with disabilities be given the opportunity to participate in the programs and services 

offered to the public by covered Legislative Branch entities. All public services and 

accommodations must be made accessible, at alternative sites or through alternative means when 

necessary, except when to do so would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the 

program, or in undue financial or administrative burden. The goal of the ADA is to provide 

accessibility and the opportunity to participate to people with disabilities in an integrated setting 

whenever possible. 

In the unique setting of Capitol Hill, the public services and accommodations provisions 

of the ADA require that people with disabilities be assured of the opportunity to tour the Capitol, 

meet with and conduct business with members of Congress, attend committee hearings, and 

participate in public programs sponsored by Congressional offices. Achieving accessibility may 

require removal of structural barriers to access (e.g., erecting a ramp at an entrance to a 

Congressional building) as well as removal of communication barriers (e.g., providing signed 

interpretive services for a committee hearing). 

Based on our inspections during the 107th Congress, we have concluded that overall, the 

Legislative Branch is in substantial compliance with the public access provisions of the ADA. 

However, we also identified several remaining deficiencies that impede access for people with 

disabilities. We note that these are the same deficiencies identified in our previous Report for the 

1

106th Congress. Specifically, we recommend that the responsible entities address the lack of 

adequate signage to direct people with disabilities to accessible building features and paths of 

travel, including areas of rescue assistance in the event of an emergency; the lack of complete 

coverage by visual alarms in the Capitol, Hart and Rayburn Buildings; and limitations in 

restrooms throughout the Capitol complex that are inaccurately designated as accessible. For a 

detailed explanation of our inspection findings, see Appendix A. 

II. INTRODUCTION 

The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (“CAA”) requires the General Counsel of 

the Office of Compliance to inspect covered facilities in the Legislative Branch at least once each 

Congress for compliance with the public services and accommodations provisions in Titles II and 

III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The results of this inspection are to be 

reported to the Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Office of the 

Architect of the Capitol, and any other entity responsible for correcting violations. Section 210(f) 

of the CAA; 2 U.S.C. §1331(f). 

The public services and accommodations provisions in Section 210 of the CAA went into 

effect on January 1, 1997, at the start of the 105th Congress. This Report to the 107th Congress is 

the third report mandated by Section 210(f). 

For the initial report in 1998, all public areas in the buildings and other facilities operated 

by the entities covered by Section 210 of the CAA were inspected.1 The public areas are those to 

which constituents, individuals on official business, and other visitors have access. They contain 

about eight million square feet of space, and include areas such as the offices of Members of the 

House of Representatives and Senators, committee hearing rooms, public restrooms, food 

1

The entities covered by the public access provisions in Section 210 of the CAA are the 

following: (1) each office of the Senate, including each office of a Senator and each committee; 

(2) each office of the House of Representatives, including each office of a Member of the House 

of Representatives and each committee; (3) each joint committee of the Congress; (4) the Capitol 

Guide Service; (5) the Capitol Police; (6) the Congressional Budget Office; (7) the Office of the 

Architect of the Capitol; (8) the Office of the Attending Physician; and (9) the Office of 

Compliance. 2 U.S.C. §1331(a). 

2 
service areas, and the paths of travel to all of these areas. Areas used exclusively by employees, 

and not open to the public, are not covered by the public access provisions of the ADA, and were 

therefore not included in the survey.2 

For the present report, only areas where modifications or alterations affecting public 

access have been made since the previous inspection in 2000 were surveyed, since examining 

areas where conditions are unchanged would yield no new information. The Architect of the 

Capitol assisted us in identifying areas where modifications or alterations had been made. In 

addition, the Congressional Special Services Office, the Chief Administrative Officer of the 

House, and the U.S. Capitol Police advised us about changes to their programs or activities. We 

also benefitted from comments received from several disability rights groups, listed in Appendix 

D. The covered offices specifically mentioned in this Report were given an advance opportunity 

to comment on it. Their comments were carefully considered and, where appropriate, adopted 

before the Report was approved for publication. 

The inspections were conducted during August and November 2002 by an accessibility 

specialist from the U.S. Access Board working under the direction of the staff of the Office of 

Compliance General Counsel.3 This Report summarizes the results of those inspections. A 

detailed explanation of our inspection findings appears in Appendix A. 

III. WHAT THE PUBLIC ACCESS PROVISIONS OF THE ADA REQUIRE 

The public access provisions of the ADA prohibit discrimination on the basis of 

disability, and require that people with disabilities be given the opportunity to participate in the 

programs and services that are offered to the public. To enable participation, standard practices 

must be modified if a reasonable way can be found to accommodate a person with disabilities 

2

Employees with disabilities are covered by another section of the CAA, Section 201. 

That section extends to employees the rights and protections of Title I of the ADA and the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 2 U.S.C. §1311(a)(3). 

3

The U.S. Access Board, or Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, is 

a Federal agency devoted to accessibility of people with disabilities. The Access Board was 

created under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; see 29 U.S.C. Section 792. 

3 
that does not fundamentally alter the nature of what is being made available to members of the 

public. See 28 CFR §35.130; 150 and 28 CFR § 36.201-208; 302. 

Both physical barriers and communication barriers can prevent participation by people 

with disabilities. For example, a lack of ramps to the entrance of a building poses a physical 

barrier that prevents a wheelchair user from getting to a Member’s office or attending a 

committee hearing. The unavailability of printed material in Braille or other alternate formats 

poses a communications barrier to a person who is blind or has low vision. 

A. Access to Public Programs, Services, and Activities 

The ADA requires that each program or service provided by a public entity, when viewed 

in its entirety, be readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.4 Every existing 

facility where programs and services are offered to the public does not have to be made 

accessible. However, all programs and services must be made accessible, at alternative sites or 

through alternative means when necessary, except where to do so would result in a fundamental 

alteration in the nature of the program, or in undue financial or administrative burden. In 

choosing among ways to make its programs accessible, priority consideration should be given to 

providing services in a setting that does not segregate people with disabilities from other people. 

Thus, if a Member of the House of Representatives is offering an educational program on 

Medicare benefits to constituents in a town in his or her district, and the only facility available 

that will accommodate the number of anticipated attendees is not accessible to wheelchair users, 

measures must be taken to make the program available to these individuals at alternative sites or 

through alternative means. Such measures might include holding an additional session at a 

smaller accessible location for both wheelchair users and individuals who could not attend the 

initial session, in the interest of offering the program in an integrated setting, or if that is not 

feasible, making an audio or video tape of the program available. 

4

The public entities to which the program access requirements in Title II of the ADA 

apply are primarily state and local governments. For the purpose of applying Title II of the 

ADA, the CAA defines “public entity” as any Legislative Branch entity covered by Section 

210(a) that provides public services, programs, or activities. Section 210(b)(2) of the CAA, 2 

U.S.C. § 1331(b)(2). 

4 
B. Removal of Structural Barriers to Access 

With respect to structural barriers, the goal of the ADA is that, over time, access will be 

the rule rather than the exception. To strike a balance between providing access to individuals 

with disabilities and legitimate cost concerns, the ADA establishes different standards for 

existing facilities and new construction. In existing facilities where retrofitting may prove costly, 

a less rigorous degree of physical accessibilility is required than in the case of new construction 

and alterations where features that enable access can be incorporated more easily and 

economically into the initial design and construction. See 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix B -

Preamble to Regulations on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability By Public 

Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (regulations issued by Department of Justice). 

Existing Facilities In existing facilities, the ADA requires the removal of structural 

barriers to access when their removal is “readily achievable” - that is, easily accomplished or able 

to be carried out without much difficulty or expense. 28 CFR §§ 36.104 and 304. Examples of 

such measures include making curb cuts and installing ramps so that wheelchair users can enter a 

building; rearranging tables, chairs and other furniture so that there is enough clearance for a 

wheelchair; adding raised marking on elevator control buttons so that people who are blind or 

have low vision can operate the controls; and installing flashing alarm lights so that individuals 

who are hearing impaired are alerted to evacuate in a fire or other emergency. Additional 

examples of barrier removal that are usually readily achievable are provided in 28 CFR § 36.304. 

As these examples illustrate, the readily achievable standard does not require extensive 

renovation of existing buildings. Removing a barrier posed by a flight of steps would generally 

not be required, for example, if installation of an elevator or extensive ramping is needed. 

Ramping a single step, however, is likely to be readily achievable, and ramping several steps also 

will be readily achievable in many instances. 

Priorities for Barrier Removal Because the resources available for barrier removal may 

not be adequate to remove all existing barriers at once, priorities have been established by the 

Federal regulations for determining which type of barriers should be eliminated first - either 

completely or to the extent readily achievable. 28 CFR §36.304(c). These priorities are designed 

to maximize the degree of effective access that will result from any given level of expenditure 

5

and guide long-term planning. 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix B. 

The highest priority has been placed on removing barriers to enable individuals with 

disabilities to physically enter a building on their own. Making it possible “to get through the 

door” from public sidewalks or drop-off points is the most important first step in enabling 

individuals with disabilities to use the services and participate in the activities that take place in 

the building. 

The next priority is the removal of barriers that prevent access to the major activities 

made available to the public. In the U.S. Capitol Building, for example, major activities 

available to the public include viewing legislative proceedings from galleries in the House and 

Senate Chambers, and visiting areas such as the Rotunda and Statuary Hall, which are major 

attractions. In Congressional office buildings, major activities available to the public include 

attending committee hearings, and visiting the offices of Senators and Members of the House of 

Representatives to express opinions and concerns to elected representatives. 

The third priority is to provide access to restroom facilities. Measures that are readily 

achievable to remove barriers in these facilities might include, for example, widening toilet stalls, 

installing grab bars, and replacing door hardware that requires tight grasping and twisting, or 

installing automatic door openers, so that an individual with a mobility impairment can enter the 

restroom unassisted. 

The final priority for barrier removal is to provide access to other services and facilities. 

In Congressional buildings, other facilities would include cafeterias, water fountains, and public 

telephones. 

Consulting with individuals with disabilities or organizations representing them is 

encouraged by regulation as a way to save resources by identifying the most efficient means of 

providing the required access. 

When barrier removal is not readily achievable, alternative means to provide access must 

be used to the extent that they are readily achievable. For example, if a Congressional district 

office is located on the second floor of a building that does not have an elevator, the office should 

take alternative measures to provide access - such as bringing the material that a constituent may 

6

request to ground level or meeting with the constituent in a library or coffee shop.5 

New Construction and Alterations Standards for accessible design have been adopted for 

new construction and alterations by the Department of Justice. These standards, which appear at 

28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A, were developed by the U.S. Access Board. 

Except in special circumstances, these design specifications for accessible features must 

be followed in new construction and alterations. For alterations, deviations from ADA standards 

are permitted only when the nature of an existing facility makes it virtually impossible to comply 

fully with the standards. In these circumstances, the alteration must provide the maximum 

physical accessibility feasible. 28 CFR §36.402(c). For new construction, full compliance with 

access standards is required except in rare circumstances where unique characteristics of the 

terrain make it structurally impracticable. 28 CFR §36.401(c). 

For example, the United States Botanic Gardens Conservatory, a facility covered by 

section 210 of the CAA, has undergone a major renovation. The Conservatory was reopened to 

the public in September 2001. Our recent inspection revealed that the Conservatory is fully 

compliant with ADA standards, with the exception of minor technical problems found in the 

restrooms. The AOC reports that it will address these problems. (For details, see discussion of 

Botanic Gardens in Appendix A, under “Individual Building Reports, Other Facilities.”) 

C. Effective Communication 

The ADA requires that the governmental entities and private businesses and 

organizations covered by the law take steps to ensure that communication with members of the 

public with disabilities is as effective as communications with others. Aids to communication, 

called auxiliary aids, must be furnished to persons with disabilities when necessary for effective 

communication, provided they can be furnished without undue financial or administrative 

burden, and do not significantly alter the nature of the program. For individuals with hearing 

impairments, auxiliary aids and services include written materials, assistive listening devices, 

qualified interpreters, and open or closed captioning. For individuals with visual impairments, 

5

The ADA does not require that only accessible space be leased, a requirement that could 

be particularly burdensome in rural or sparsely populated areas. However, district and home 

offices should try to locate accessible space available whenever possible. 

7 
auxiliary aids include audio recordings, Brailled materials, and large print materials. 

The availability of auxiliary aids should be made known by notices in newsletters or other 

publications. It is not necessary, however, to prepare a document in an alternate format unless a 

specific request is received. Charges may not be imposed for providing auxiliary aids.6 

IV. CONSULTATION WITH DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUPS 

Before the current inspections were initiated, the Office of the General Counsel solicited 

comments from disability rights groups about the difficulties that people with disabilities 

experience when they come to Capitol Hill, or seek access to information produced by the 

Legislative Branch. We reviewed the comments in preparing this Report, and forwarded them to 

responsible offices. A list of the disability rights organizations which provided comments 

appears in Appendix D. 

V. STATUS OF PHYSICAL ACCESS AND IMPROVEMENTS SINCE LAST INSPECTION 

The inspections conducted during the 107th Congress showed that overall, the Legislative 

Branch is in substantial compliance with the public access provisions of the ADA. 

The reports on individual buildings, which appear in Appendix A, attempt to assess the 

current state of access for each of the major Congressional buildings, and to identify the major 

structural barriers to access that remain to be addressed. Changes and improvements made since 

the last inspection are highlighted. 

The priorities for barrier removal established under the ADA were used in making this 

assessment. For each building, efforts have been made to determine whether an individual in a 

wheelchair or with other mobility impairment can (1) freely enter the building; (2) travel from the 

entrance to areas where major programs and activities such as committee hearings and other 

public meetings are held; (3) use the restrooms; and (4) use other public facilities such as dining 

facilities, public telephones, and water fountains. 

6

The ADA does not require the provision of personal devices, such as wheelchairs; 

individually prescribed devices, such as hearing aids; or services of a personal nature including 

assistance in eating, toileting, or dressing. 28 CFR §36.306. 

8 
Building features that make a building accessible to people who are blind or have low 

vision, or who have hearing impairments, are also addressed in the individual building reports. 

For people with visual impairments, accessible building features include signs with Braille and 

tactile lettering, audible signals on elevators, and the elimination of protruding objects that can 

injure a blind person because they are located where they can not be detected with a cane. For 

individuals with hearing impairments, accessible building features include visual alarms to warn 

of the need to evacuate in an emergency, the availability of assistive listening systems, and public 

text telephones - frequently referred to as TTY’s or TDD’s - which are used to communicate with 

individuals who are hearing impaired or cannot speak. 

A. Entrances 

All major Congressional buildings have at least one accessible entrance, making it 

possible for wheelchair users to “get in the door,” the highest priority for barrier removal under 

the ADA. As stated in our last Report, there are features that reduce the degree of access at some 

of the entrances which should be remedied (these problems are noted on the individual building 

reports in Appendix A). However, all the designated entrances are functional and usable by 

individuals with disabilities. 

Throughout the Capitol complex, there are signs clearly designating accessible entrances 

and indicating the location of the accessible entrances at building entrances that are not 

accessible. Since our last inspection, AOC has installed four new exterior directional signs in the 

immediate vicinity of the U.S. Capitol. The new signs, including “You are Here” maps, provide 

explicit direction to, and identification of, the accessible entrances to all buildings. According to 

wheelchair users, the absence of such signs in the past had been a major impediment, requiring 

people with mobility impairments to travel around very large buildings in search of an accessible 

entrance. 

B. Curb Ramps 

Due to the installation of more than four hundred curb ramps throughout the Capitol 

complex during the 106th Congress, most paths of travel through the Capitol grounds can be 

9

traveled by wheelchair. However, some improvements are needed. The AOC reports that it is 

working on a plan to update and renew all existing curb cuts, and to install new ones where 

needed. The plan will take into account areas where security barriers impede access. The AOC 

is not able to provide a projected date for completion of this project at this time. 

C. Hallways and Major Activity Areas 

Generally, there are no major obstructions in the hallways from building entrances to 

hearing rooms and Members’ offices, where major activities are conducted. The hallways in 

Congressional office buildings are generally free of obstructions that would 

prevent individuals in wheelchairs from getting to the areas where committee hearing rooms and 

Members’ offices are located. 

However, large, heavy doors, some of which are historic, do pose impediments to access 

to several committee hearing rooms. Many of these doors have hardware that requires tight 

grasping and twisting, and a single leaf that has less than the 32" of clearance needed for 

wheelchair access. The AOC reports that automatic door openers will be added when doors are 

replaced or committee rooms upgraded. We found during our current inspection that automatic 

door openers have been added to four hearing rooms in the Rayburn Building. In addition, we 

found new signs posted at three hearing rooms in the Cannon Building indicating accessibility 

instructions. In general, hearing room doors that are difficult to open and not equipped with 

automatic openers should either be propped open when hearings are held, or someone should be 

available to open the doors. 

Many conventional tables are not high enough to permit people in wheelchairs to sit at the 

table. As the reports on the individual buildings reflect, many witness tables in hearing rooms 

and conference tables throughout the complex have been modified or raised on blocks to provide 

the 27" of clearance needed. However, as noted, some tables still have not been modified or 

replaced. When a witness table will not provide adequate clearance for a witness in 

10

a wheelchair, arrangements should be made in advance for a temporary table. House ADA 

Services provides such tables on request. 

An impediment to wheelchair access to the offices of some Members of the House of 

Representatives, brought to our attention during our previous inspection, were mailboxes in the 

office doorways which reduce clearance to less than 32", thereby obstructing wheelchair access. 

All mailboxes, both wall-mounted and floor mounted, have now been removed. However, signs 

with Braille and tactile lettering near some of the doorways to offices in both House and Senate 

Office Buildings continue to be blocked by flags. Although we found during our recent 

inspection that most offices were free of such impediments, these problems remain in some 

locations. 

Finally, we note that steep ramps found in some locations throughout the Capitol 

complex, particularly in the tunnels connecting the buildings, make it difficult for persons using 

wheelchairs and others with mobility impairments to make their way independently through the 

buildings. 

D. Elevators 

Most of the elevators throughout the Capitol complex are large enough and have 

doorways that are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. There are, however, a significant 

number of elevators, primarily those of unique design in the Capitol Building, that are too small 

and cannot be widened feasiblely. 

The principal access problems in elevators that can be remedied are the location of call 

buttons and control panels, which are often not low enough to be within the reach of wheelchair 

users; the lack of Braille and tactile lettering at control buttons; and the lack of proper audible 

signals for individuals who are blind or have low vision. As reported previously, significant 

progress continues to be made under the ongoing elevator modernization program at the Capitol 

complex. We found during our current inspection that a total of 14 elevators in the Capitol 

Building have now been modernized and made ADA-compliant. The AOC reports that all 

elevators in the Capitol will be modernized by December 2005. In addition, all elevators in the 

Longworth Building (with the exception of a single elevator lacking a functioning audible 

signal), and six of the ten public elevators in the Dirksen Building are ADA-compliant. As 

11

detailed in the individual building reports found in Appendix A, work is continuing or planned to 

renovate and make several more elevators ADA-compliant throughout the Capitol complex. 

E. Restrooms 

Since the last inspection, there also has been an increase in the number of ADAcompliant restrooms.7 The most notable improvement has been in the Capitol Building. 

Beginning with our 1998 Report, we recommended that providing accessible restrooms in the 

Capitol, one of the most heavily visited monuments in the country, should be given a high 

priority. All public restrooms have now been upgraded and made substantially ADA-compliant 

(with the exception of two restrooms slated for demolition). However, during our inspection we 

found that the accessible restrooms still lack required Braille signage by the entrance doors, and 

that a few of the restrooms have additional deficiencies, as detailed in Appendix A. 

In the Russell Building, all public restrooms in the building (13 men’s and 13 women’s) 

are now accessible. However, many of the accessible restrooms are not indicated on the “You 

are Here” floor maps posted in the building, making them difficult for visitors to locate. 

In the Cannon Building, there is now at least one accessible men’s and women’s restroom 

on four of the five floors. In the Longworth Building, 11 restrooms are substantially ADAcomplaint, with a few minor problems remaining. Work is underway to complete restroom 

renovations in the Dirksen and Hart Buildings. 

Despite these improvements, there are still a number of restrooms designated as 

accessible in Capitol Hill buildings that have problems making it difficult for individuals in 

wheelchairs to use them. These problems are described in detail in the individual building 

reports, found in Appendix A. 

In particular, we note, as we did in our previous report, that the number of accessible 

stalls in the Rayburn Building (one men’s and one women’s per floor) remains quite limited, 

particularly in view of the fact that the Rayburn, with two million square feet, is the largest 

Congressional office building, and contains 40 restrooms. In view of the large size of this 

7

For existing buildings, the ADA does not prescribe how many restrooms must have 

accessible stalls. 

12 
building, consideration should be given to installing additional accessible stalls. 

F. Other Public Facilities 

The reports on individual buildings in Appendix A detail the state of access and recent 

improvements described above, and also as they pertain to dining facilities, public telephones, 

and water fountains. 

G. Visual Alarms/Emergency Evacuation 

In our last Report, we stated that there were very few visual alarms throughout the Capitol 

Hill buildings to alert persons who are hearing impaired about the need to evacuate in the event 

of a building emergency. In the current climate, the importance of visual alarms and other issues 

relating to emergency evacuation are abundantly clear. A complex-wide, multi-year program 

was established in fiscal year 1998 to upgrade the fire alarm systems, including visual signaling 

devices and other equipment, for compliance with the ADA, as well as the OSHA provisions, 

embodied in the CAA. However, at the time of our current inspection, we found that the Capitol 

Building still lacks visual alarms in all but the third and fourth floors, and that they are too far 

apart (required placement is every 50 feet). The AOC reports that final design for the upgrade of 

the ADA fire alarm system is complete, installation has begun and the expected the completion 

date is June 2003. 

Visual alarms are also entirely lacking in the Hart Building, with no date established for 

completion. However, visual alarms have been fully installed and are operational in the 

remaining House and Senate office buildings, with the exception of the Rayburn Building, where 

visual alarms have been installed and are operational only in the sub-basement through fourth 

floors; AOC reports that the Rayburn will be completely covered by visual alarms in fiscal year 

2003. We urge the Congressional committees and the AOC to make the installation of visual 

alarms in the Capitol, Hart and remaining floors of the Rayburn Building a priority.8 

U.S. Capitol Police officials report that the emergency evacuation plans for all buildings 

include designated areas of refuge for people who require assistance during an emergency 

8 We note that the ADA does not require the establishment of areas of refuge or rescue 

assistance for people with disabilities, but people with disabilities must be assured the same level 

of safety as other individuals in the event of a building emergency. 

13 
evacuation. The Capitol Police are trained to provide such assistance. However, the refuge areas 

are not designated on any existing building maps to alert visitors to the building. The AOC 

reports that signs to be installed under the Wayfinding and ADA-Compliant Signage Program 

will include designations of areas of rescue assistance. We strongly recommend that installation 

of these signs, together with the installation of visual alarms, be made a priority to ensure that 

disabled visitors be afforded the same level of protection in the event of an emergency as other 

visitors to the Capitol complex. 

H. Signage 

While accessible building entrances are now almost all clearly marked, the lack of 

adequate signage within buildings to direct persons with disabilities to accessible building 

features and paths of travel continues to be one of the most significant problems encountered by 

people with disabilities visiting the Capitol complex. 

The deficiencies in signage within buildings are widespread. For example, signs for 

accessible building features such as restrooms and phones are frequently missing, and sometimes 

misleading. In some cases, the restrooms designated as accessible on building floor maps still 

can not be used by most people in wheelchairs. For people with low vision, small lettering on 

signs that do not meet disability access standards impedes finding the desired destination. In 

addition, as discussed above, there are no signs designating the areas of refuge assistance for 

visitors requiring assistance during an emergency evacuation. The specific deficiencies in 

signage are noted in the reports on individual buildings found in Appendix A. 

AOC anticipates that these deficiencies will be remedied as a result of the Wayfinding 

and ADA-Compliant Signage Program designed to improve signage throughout the Capitol 

complex. This project will involve the complete redesign of signs both inside and outside of 

buildings, and will include improved signage for accessible, as well as life safety, features. A 

contract for the first phase of this project was signed in September, 1998. However, progress has 

been delayed due to budgetary constraints. It is not possible to determine when the signage 

program will be completed. With the available funding, the AOC states it will fabricate and 

install signs that are deemed of the highest priority for improving accessibility and facilitating 

emergency evacuation. For signage in the Capitol Building, the AOC expects funding in fiscal 

14

year 2003 in the amount of $245, 000 (when the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is 

enacted) and has requested an additional $130,000 in fiscal year 2004, to complete this work in 

the Capitol. 

VI. STATUS OF COM MUNICATIO N ACCESS 

Congress and other organizations in the Legislative Branch covered by section 210 of the 

CAA have taken a number of steps to fulfill their obligation to communicate effectively with 

people with disabilities. The following is a brief summary of some of the services available. 

A. Captioning of House and Senate Proceedings 

Proceedings in both the House and the Senate are closed captioned for individuals who 

are hearing impaired. The broadcast of House proceedings on C-Span I reaches an estimated 

seventy million viewers, and the broadcast of Senate proceedings on C-Span II reaches an 

estimated fifty million viewers. The captioning of these proceedings is an important advance in 

effectively communicating the work of the Congress to individuals who are hearing impaired. 

The Senate Captioning Office does the captioning of Senate proceedings, and also 

maintains closed circuit TV with real time captioning in Gallery No. 6 to enable visitors who are 

hearing impaired to follow Senate floor proceedings. The House provides the same service in 

House Gallery No. 4, with captioning provided through a contract with the National Captioning 

Institute, a private company. 

B. Legislative Information on the Internet 

A large amount of legislative information is now available on the Internet. The Library of 

Congress’s Thomas site (http://www.loc.gov), for example, has the text of bills and information 

about their status; copies of the Congressional Record; committee schedules, reports, and 

selected hearing transcripts; House and Senate Roll Call Votes; and links to other sites with 

legislative information. Most Senators and Members of the House of Representative also 

maintain web sites as a means of communicating with their constituents. 

As we stated in our previous Report, persons with disabilities are often avid users of the 

Internet and other electronic information services. In addition to making legislative information 

readily available to individuals with hearing or mobility impairments, the Internet also serves 

15

people who are blind. Text on the Internet can be read aloud by a computer equipped with a 

speech synthesizer and text-to-speech software, or can be converted to a Braille format. 

The usability of the web site for a person who is blind depends on its design. For 

example, if image maps are used on a Member’s web site, there should be an alternate method of 

selecting options so the text-to-speech software can process the information. Unless this is done, 

it will be difficult or impossible for a blind user to get access to information on the site. 

Section 508, Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 The ADA requires that covered 

entities strive to ensure that communication with members of the public with disabilities is as 

effective as communication with others. While thus requiring reasonably equivalent access to 

information, the means for delivering that access are flexible. In 1998, Congress passed a law 

imposing significantly more stringent technical requirements on Executive Branch agencies for 

accessibility to electronic information. See Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 

amended, P.L. 105-220, Section 408(a) (August 7, 1998). The implementing regulations went 

into effect on June 25, 2001, and are codified at 48 CFR Part 39 (2001). 

Congress excluded the Legislative Branch from coverage under Section 508. However, 

the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance has recommended that Congress amend the 

Congressional Accountability Act to incorporate the substantive public access and employee 

access requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. See Interim Section 102(B) 

Report: Electronic Information Systems, OOC Board of Directors (November 13, 2001).9 The 

Library of Congress (as well as the Government Printing Office) have announced that they will 

voluntarily comply with section 508's requirements. In addition, the House of Representatives 

has recommended that all offices and committees make their web sites voluntarily 508-

compliant; House Information Services is assisting offices in this effort. Moreover, the upgraded 

9

The Report is available on the OOC web site, at www.compliance.gov. To illustrate the 

difference between the ADA and the Section 508 requirements for electronic information access, 

the Report includes the following example: if a sight-impaired member of the public cannot 

access material on an agency’s web site, that office can satisfy the requirements of the ADA by 

having the material read to that person. In contrast, compliance with Section 508 can be 

achieved only by upgrading the agency’s web site with the capacity to reformat the information 

for sight-impaired individuals by means of a “screen reader” that translates the visual material on 

a computer screen to automated audible output. See OOC Board of Directors Report at page 5. 

16 
Senate web site will be 508-compliant. 

C. Visitor Information on the Internet 

Web sites maintained by the House, Senate, and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol 

all include information for visitors with disabilities who plan to visit Capitol Hill. The Senate 

site describes the tours, auxiliary aids and other services that are available through the 

Congressional Special Services Office (“CSSO”) to visitors with disabilities. The CSSO is a 

joint office under the jurisdiction of the Capitol Guide Board, composed of the Senate and House 

Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. The Senate web site is in the process of being 

upgraded; the new version will contain additional information about services provided by CSSO. 

The web sites for the House of Representatives and the AOC provide the CSSO phone number to 

arrange for tours and services. The AOC’s web site already includes the updated CSSO 

information, and it will also be added to the House web site. The AOC’s site also contains a map 

of Capitol Hill, which shows the location of accessible entrances to the Capitol and House and 

Senate office buildings. A “virtual tour” of the Capitol Building is available for those who are 

unable to physically visit the building. 

D. Tours and Other Services for Visitors 

The CSSO provides a variety of services to visitors with disabilities. The office provides 

tours adapted to the needs of the individual, including tours specifically designed for people who 

are visually or hearing impaired, who use wheelchairs or canes, or who have developmental 

disabilities. CSSO also provides wheelchairs, available for use throughout the Capitol complex. 

House ADA Services also has a wheelchair and scooter available for visitors. 

CSSO also has developed brochures for visitors with disabilities. Their brochure on the 

Capitol Building provides historical information on the Capitol, and a building map showing the 

location of facilities accessible to visitors with disabilities, such as elevators, restrooms, water 

fountains, telephones, and ramps. Another brochure, called “Washington Highlights: Tour 

Information for Visitors with Disabilities” provides information on parking, accessible 

Washington area tourist sites, TTY phone numbers, and assistive services. Both brochures are 

available in large print and Braille, as well as ASCII disc and audio tape upon request. CSSO has 

added some of the information in these brochures on the portion of the Senate Web site that 

17

describes CSSO services to make it easily available to people planning visits. 

CSSO also maintains Tactile Braille Exhibits of the Mall and Monument areas of 

Washington. These exhibits are helpful in orienting visitors who are blind or have low vision. 

The exhibits are displayed in the Crypt of the Capitol, as well as in the Rayburn Building (near 

the South Capitol Street entrance), and in the Hart Building (outside the Disbursing Office on the 

first floor). 

E. Providing Information in Alternate Formats 

House Members and Committees can obtain information about providing materials in 

alternate format by contacting the House Office of ADA Services. 202/225-3005 (V) or 202/225-

3006 (TTY). The Senate Service Department of the Senate Sergeant at Arms provides a variety 

of Braille and large print services, and can assist Senators’ offices in preparing responses to 

correspondence from individuals who are blind or have low vision. 

Individuals seeking copies of documents such as draft legislation in alternate formats, 

such as computer disks or large print formats, can obtain them by contacting the relevant 

committee. Both House and Senate Committees will provide these items upon request. 

We note that the American Council of the Blind has informed us that some of their 

members have experienced difficulty in the past year obtaining materials in accessible formats; 

specifically, in text (as opposed to PDF) format that is compatible with screen readers. 

F. Interpreters 

CSSO provides sign language interpreting services to Congressional Offices, upon 

request, for Congressional business such as meetings with constituents, press conferences and 

other special events. These services are available only on Capitol Hill. If an interpreter is needed 

elsewhere, CSSO or House ADA Services can assist an office in locating a commercial vendor, 

including local vendors in home and state district offices throughout the country. Interpretation 

for an official function in the home state can be paid for with official funds. 

CSSO does not provide interpreters for committee or subcommittee hearings unless 

requested by a Member of Congress for the sole purpose of enabling a specific witness to 

communicate with the committee or subcommittee. Committees can contract with commercial 

vendors for individuals attending hearings, and pay for this service with official funds. There are 

18

many situations where an interpreter may not be necessary. For example, during simple, brief 

conversations, a notepad and written material may be sufficient to permit effective 

communication. However, a qualified interpreter may be necessary when the information being 

communicated is complex or is exchanged for a lengthy period of time. 

Both the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems and the National 

Council on Disability have reported problems with obtaining interpretive services. With 

reference to the comments offered by these organizations, CSSO has informed us that they 

regularly provide interpretive services to members of the public upon request and in accordance 

with the above-described guidelines, and that they are frequently able to accommodate even lastminute requests. 

G. Assistive Listening Devices 

Both CSSO and House ADA Services can provide assistive listening devices for use by 

individuals who are hearing impaired. These systems can be used by individuals taking CSSO 

guided tours, or by individuals meeting with Congressional offices or committees. Both CSSO 

and House ADA Services can deliver a system to an office or committee and demonstrate its use. 

All Senate committee hearing rooms in Dirksen have been equipped with induction loops 

to amplify and clarify sound for individuals who are hearing impaired and use hearing aids with a 

“T” switch. Several House committees have also been equipped with induction loops. Both 

House ADA Services and CSSO can provide portable systems for use by other committees. 

H. Telecommunication Services 

All Senate Offices in Washington have text telephones - frequently referred to as TTY’s 

or TDD’s. House Offices have access to a TTY message system (202/225-1904) (TTY). Offices 

also have access to telephone relay services, which link people using a voice telephone and 

people using a text telephone by routing calls through a communications operator who has both 

sets of equipment and acts as an intermediary between callers. Members of the public who do 

not communicate by voice may use the General Services Administration’s toll-free Federal 

19

Information Relay System to reach Congressional office by telephone – 800/877-8339 (Voice 

and TTY). Callers may also use their state relay service (every state is required to have one). 

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS 

Based on our inspection of facilities during the 107th Congress and consultation with 

disability rights organizations, and Legislative Branch employers, the projects to improve access 

that should receive the highest priority at this time are the following: 

A. Signage Improvements 

Lack of adequate signage to direct persons with disabilities to accessible building features 

and paths of travel continues to be one of the most significant problems encountered by people 

with disabilities despite improvements during the past two years. Continued funding of the 

Wayfinding and ADA-Compliant Signage Program is probably the most cost-effective step that 

can now be taken to improve access. Moreover, the benefit of many other measures to improve 

access, such as restroom renovations, is greatly reduced if these accessible facilities can only be 

found with great difficulty. 

Some of the features that should be incorporated in improved signage include the 

following: 

Areas of Rescue Assistance: These should be identified as soon as possible on building 

maps throughout the Capitol complex. 

Elevators: Maps in buildings should indicate which elevators are usable. In additions, 

elevators that are usable should be designated with the accessibility symbol near the 

elevator itself; those that are not usable should have a sign indicating the location of the 

closest accessible elevator. 

Restrooms: In addition to noting the location of accessible bathrooms on floor maps, 

there should be an accessibility symbol near the restroom itself. If a restroom does not 

have an accessible stall, a sign at that restroom should indicate the location of the nearest 

restroom with an accessible stall. If there is no accessible restroom on a floor, the floor 

map should indicate the location of the nearest accessible restroom. 

Phones: In addition to noting the location of wheelchair accessible pay phones and TTY 

20

pay phones on building maps and near the phones themselves, the location of the nearest 


accessible phone should be noted at banks of phones that do not have these accessible


features. 


Paths of Travel: On maps inside buildings, it would be helpful if the accessible routes


connecting buildings (i.e., routes which do not have steps, narrow elevators, narrow


passageways, etc.) were noted with a line, or some other designation. In tunnels, the path


of travel from accessible elevator to accessible elevator should be clearly designated.


B. Restrooms 

While there has been progress, many of the restrooms designated as accessible in Capitol 

Hill buildings still have significant problems that make it difficult or impossible for individuals 

in wheelchairs to use them. Moreover, the Rayburn Building still has a limited number of 

accessible stalls, particularly given the size of the building. 

C. Visual Alarms 

As discussed above, the Capitol Building and the Hart and Rayburn Buildings still lack 

complete coverage. Because this is a life safety issue, it deserves a high priority. 

21

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

APPENDIX A: INDIVIDUAL BUILDING REPORTS 

Capitol Building 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely 

enter the building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrances: 

Docum ent Doo r; 

North an d South 

Entrances 

The Ca pitol has three accessible 

entrances: 

(formerly, “Document Door”) at the 

East Fron t, and entranc es at the No rth 

Portico (S enate side) a nd the Sou th 

Portico (House side). The entrance 

ramps at the North and South Porticos 

are excellent examples of how 

wheelchair access can be provided 

without detracting from the unique 

architecture o f an historic build ing. 

In full compliance for AD A access 

through these doors. 

The Memo rial Door is currently being 

used only for emergenc y access. 

Major renovations and construction of the 

Capitol Visitor Center (“CVC”) are 

underway. isitors entering o n business still 

may use the ac cessible entra nces at the N orth 

Portico (Senate side) and the South Portico 

(House side). Public tours begin at the 

entrance across from the Botanic Garden, on 

the Southwest drive, and visitors then enter 

the Capito l through the ac cessible So uth 

screening facility. o an 

accessible sh uttle available a t the Botanic 

Garden. 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

U.S. Cap itol Police p ermit vans with 

disabled individuals to drop off at 

check po ints. parking in 

circle in front of Botanic Gardens; also, 

top of Southwest Drive (must be 

arranged in advance with Capitol 

Police). 

the Memorial Door, 

V 

There is als

Accessible

Abbreviations used: ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act; AOC - Architect of the Capitol; CAO - Chief 

Administrative Officer of the House; CSSO - Congressional Special Services Office; CVC - Capitol Visitor Center; 

USCP - U.S. Capitol Police. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A-1 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

There is a sign with the international 

accessibility symb ol near the ac cessible 

public entra nce. revious rep ort, 

we noted there were no other signs on 

the Capitol grounds indicating the 

locations o f accessible en trances. 

AOC has installed 4 exterior 

directional m aps in the imm ediate 

vicinity of the U.S. Capitol. 

signs, including “You Are H ere” maps, 

provide explicit direction to, and 

identification o f, the accessible 

entrances to all buildings. 

In our p 

The new 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility 

impairments freely go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building of public interest, 

such as the House and Senate Galleries to observe the workings of the legislature, the Rotunda, 

and committee hearing rooms? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans For Future Improvements 

Path of travel from 

entrance to areas of 

public interest, offices, 

meeting roo ms. 

! Ramps h ave been installed to 

provide an accessible path of travel 

through most public areas. 

some ramps should be modified for 

ease of use: 

The U-shaped ramp inside the 

accessible entrance on the first floor of 

the House side (the M emorial D oor) is 

extremely difficu lt to negotiate. 

The ramp between the Senate and the 

House sides on the third floor is too 

steep. Handrails could be added, or 

people c ould be d irected to an alternate 

accessible route via the second floor. 

AOC rep orts that modification to the access 

ramp at M emorial D oor has b een designe d. 

Since the entrance will be closed during 

construction of the Capitol Visitor Center 

(“CVC”), ramp modifications will be made 

after comp letion of the CV C, if necessary. 

The construction contract for the ramp 

between the Senate and the House was 

awarded, but the contractor defaulted. 

then, AOC determined that these ramp s will 

be eliminated by the CVC’s East front 

interface this co ming Feb ruary 200 3. 

Therefo re, handrails w ill not be requ ired. 

However, 

Since 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A-2 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans For Future Improvements 

! There ar e areas rese rved for pe ople 

who use wheelchairs in the galleries of 

both the Se nate and H ouse Cha mbers. 

! A ramp w as constructe d in the Old 

Senate Chamber to make this area 

wheelchair a ccessible. 

! A ramp recently installed on the 

floor of the Senate makes this area 

accessible (open to visitors only when 

the Senate is no t in session). 

! Glass-enclosed displays in the Crypt 

are accessible for people in wheelchairs 

who can use a side approach. 

AOC rep orts that modification to the access 

ramp at M emorial D oor has b een designe d. 

Since the entrance will be closed during 

construction of the Capitol Visitor Center 

(“CVC”), ramp modifications will be made 

after comp letion of the CV C, if necessary. 

AOC also reports that a design has been 

completed for permanent (to replace the 

existing temporary) ramps connecting the 

two levels of the Upper Terrace, on both the 

north and south sides of the building. The 

construction contract has been awarded. 

South ram p will be con structed first as it is 

the most critical, since visitors will be routed 

through this side of the building once 

CVC is o pened. 

Leadership offices -

Areas where the 

public has a ccess. 

Generally adequate clearance for wheel 

chairs in path of travel to areas where 

constituents and other members of the 

public have access (usually conference 

rooms, Senator’s or Member’s office, 

reception area). 

The 

the 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined.


A-3

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

! Doors to som e rooms pose 

problems for a person in a 

wheelchair: they are too 

heavy, single leaf often does 

not provide 32 inches of 

clearance, and hardware 

requires tight grasping. 

hearings are held, the doors 

should be propped open or 

someon e should b e available 

to open the door. 

! Most witness tables less than 

27 inches have bee n raised so 

that individuals in wheelchairs 

can sit at the table. The paths 

of travel to seating areas are 

generally ad equate. 

Elevators An elevato r modern ization pro gram is 

underway in the Capitol. 

The following passenger elevators have 

been modernized, buttons lowered, 

braille and audible chimes installed: 

H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8, H10, HL3 

(freight also), S2, S2A, S4, S5, SL1 

(freight also), SL 3 (used b y the Senate 

Kitchen for freight). 

AOC reports that all elevators in the Capitol 

will be modernized by December 2005. 

When 

Restrooms: Are restrooms readily usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with mobility 

impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Re maining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Building restrooms Becaus e the Capito l Building is 

among the most heavily visited 

monuments in the country, our 1998 

report indicated that providing 

accessible restrooms in the building 

should hav e the highest pr iority. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A-4 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

All public restrooms have been 

upgrade d and are complian t with ADA . 

The exception are the two restrooms 

located at the first floor next to Room 

EF-100 (House and Senate sides, one 

each). e two restrooms will be 

demolished by the CVC. 

In our previous report, we identified a 

few minor deficiencies in otherwise 

accessible restrooms: 

! The accessible restrooms 

lacked Braille signage by the 

entrance doors, and had coat 

hooks mounted too high 

(applicable standards require 

placement at height of 48"); 

Coat hoo k height has be en correc ted. 

! The accessible women’s room 

on the House side lacked an 

ambulatory stall (required 

where, as here, there are 6 or 

more stalls); this can be 

remedied by installing grab 

bars in one of the stalls. 

Grab bars have been installed in the 

women’s room located on the Ho use 

side facility. 

During our current inspection, we 

identified the following additional 

deficiencies: 

! The accessible men’s room on 

the Senate side (S136) has 

entrance doors that are not 

accessible. The door has two 

independently operated leaves 

and neither leaf has a clear 

opening of 32 inche s. 

! The co athook in the accessible 

women’s ro om on the Senate 

side (S157) mounted too high 

(applicable standards require 

placement at height of 48"). 

! The accessible women’s room 

on the House side still lacks 

an ambulatory stall (required 

where, as here, there are 6 or 

more stalls). 

AOC reports that the noted signage 

deficiencies will be resolved as a function of 

the Permanent Wayfinding and ADACompliant Signage Program. 

Coat hoo k height has be en correc ted. 

Grab b ars have be en installed in the w omen’s 

room loc ated on the House sid e facility. 

Thes

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined.


A-5

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Other Building Facilities: Are other building facilities readily useable by individuals in 

wheelchairs or with mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

There are almost no signs indicating 

the direction of accessible restrooms 

and telephones. H owever, brochure s, 

available from the Capitol Police show 

where these features are located on 

building floor plans, and there are a lso 

many police and tour guides throughout 

the building who can provide directions 

to these facilities. 

AOC reports that the noted signage 

deficiencies will be resolved as a function of 

the Permanent Wayfinding and ADAComp liant Signage P rogram. 

Public Telephones The public telephone banks located on 

the Senate side of the first floor now 

include two accessible telepho nes; 

however, a TTY device is lacking (at 

least one required where there is a bank 

of eight or mo re public tele phones). 

Two telephones on the House side are 

ADA acc essible: se 

Carriage Entrance on the first floor, 

and one on the east front on the second 

floor. 

TTY d evice has been installed in one 

of the public telephones located on the 

bank of eigh t telephones of the Senate 

side of the building, but is not 

identified by the TTY symbol of 

accessibility, as req uired. 

one near the Hou 

Cafeteria/ 

Coffee Shop 

The foo d service are as are gene rally 

usable by ind ividuals in whee lchairs. 

The beverage dispensers in the 

Cafeteria/Coffee shop have been 

lowered to permit whee lchair users to 

reach them without assistanc e. 

. 

Drinking Fountains The House side water fountains have 

been rep laced with ac cessible hi-lo 

fountains. The only remaining water 

fountains, located on the House and 

Senate connecting corridors, first floor, 

are currently being upgraded. 

AOC reports that the Senate side water 

fountain has no t been repla ced due to 

problems with the drain line. ne 

running from the attic to the basement m ust 

be replaced. 

The drain li

No date for completion. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A-6 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Emergency Evacuation 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not use stairs 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Plan developed 

by the Cap itol Police. T here are, in 

addition, many police and tour guides 

to assist in the even t of an emerg ency. 

These areas will be identified on new 

building maps under the Permanent ADACompliant Signage Program, beginning 

fiscal year 2003. 

distributed by the USCP to all offices which 

indicate refuge areas where U SCP will assist 

during an em ergency. 

Pamphlets have been 

Building features to make the building accessible to people who are blind or have low 

vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Membe rs’/Senators’ 

Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrud e more tha n 4"). 

Braille/tactile sign s at the entrance s to 

some offices are blocked by flags and 

should be moved a few feet so that 

access to the signs is unobstru cted. 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

Although some signs throughout the 

building hav e Braille/tactile le ttering, a 

number d o not. 

AOC reports that all permanent Wayfinding 

and AD A-Com pliant signs will have Braille 

and raised lettering. 

Exhibits Tactile Braille Exhibit of the Mall and 

Monument Areas in Washington are 

displayed in the Crypt of the Capitol. 

Elevators As noted above, an elevator 

modern ization pro gram is und erway in 

the Capito l. 

The following passenger elevators have 

been completed and are ADAcompliant: H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8, 

H10, HL3 (freight also), S4, SL1 

(freight also), 3 (used b y the Senate 

Kitchen for freight). 

AOC reports that all elevators in the Capitol 

will be modernized by December 2005. 

SL 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A-7 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Capitol 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

The only visual alarms are on the third 

and fourth floors, and they are too far 

apart (req uired place ment of alarm s is 

every 50 fee t). 

AOC reports that final design for the upgrade 

of the AD A/fire alarm syste m is comp lete. 

Installation has begun; expected completion 

date is June 2003. 

Public Telephones One public T TY located on the first 

floor. only public 

TTY in the building, directional maps 

should indicate location. AOC may 

wish to affix labels near each phone 

bank, indicating the location of the 

TTY, sing the international TTY 

symbol. 

Directional maps to be installed under the 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program will include this inform ation. 

Since this is the

u

Senate and Ho use 

Galleries 

Hearing and Meeting 

Rooms 

Congressional Special Services Office 

has portable assistive listening devices 

for use in committee hearing rooms and 

meetings. 

Senate Gallery No . 6 and House 

Gallery No. 4 are equipped with a 

closed circuit TV with real-time 

captioning of floor proceedings and 

built-in audio induction loop systems 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A-8

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Russell Senate Office Building 

Size: 735,783 sq. ft. 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely enter the 

building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrance: 

Delaware Ave. 

Entrance has a ramp and is equipped 

with an autom atic door o pener. 

However, we note that the gripping 

surface of the handrail is interrupted by 

pickets (req uired to be continuous ). 

AOC reports that this entrance will be 

redesigned with a new ADA-compliant 

vestibule; des ign is underwa y at this time. 

Handrails will be replaced as part of the 

redesign. gn in progress; expect 

construction in fiscal year 200 5. ate 

provided for completion. 

Desi

No d 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Limited number of parking spaces 

available for individuals with 

disabilities near the accessib le 

entrance. t U.S. Capitol Police 

at barricad e for availab ility. 

Consul

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly ind icate accessib le 

entrance, an d location o f accessible 

entrance indicated at other entranc es. 

New uniform and up-to-date signs are being 

provided under the Wayfinding and ADAcomplian t Signage P rogram b eginning in 

fiscal year 2003. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 9 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an ind ividual in a whe elchair or with m obility impairm ents freely 

go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Members meet with members of the public, where 

hearings are conducted , and other public mee ting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No major obstructions in the path of 

travel to offices a nd meeting rooms. 

Howev er, the courtya rd’s lower lev el, 

where pub lic functions are h eld, is 

inaccessible to individuals in 

wheelchairs. Access to the lower level 

could be provided with a ramp. 

A temporary building has been 

constructed in the Russell co urtyard to 

provide “swing space” for offices 

displaced during the Dirksen buildingwide reno vation pro ject. 

includes a ramp into the building and a 

ramp from the facility to the lower 

courtyard. 

A plan for a permanent ramp between the 

upper an d lower leve ls of the courtyar d will 

be prepared so that construction of the ramp 

can be undertaken when the temporary 

building is removed. 

AOC hopes that the design and construction 

of the new ramp can be coordinated to be 

completed as the temporary building is being 

removed. his ramp has been 

included in th e AOC fiscal year 200 3 budge t. 

The rem oval of the tem porary bu ilding is 

subject to the continuing needs of the U.S. 

Senate for “swing space” associated with the 

Dirksen building-wide renovation and 

possibly other projects. 

Senators’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has access 

Generally adequate clearance for wheel 

chairs in path of travel to reception and 

meeting areas in offices. There is, 

however, an incline on the first floor 

near room 188; handrails should be 

provided. 

recommendations for improvement 

include moving flags to prevent 

blocking the Braille/tactile signs, or 

seating prospective guests who use 

wheelchairs a t the head or foot of a 

conference table where there is more 

clearance than at the side. 

AOC reports that a design has been 

completed for the handrails, but there has 

been no fu rther action. eminders to 

Senators re garding the p lacement o f flags in 

locations that d o not bloc k access to 

Braille/tactile sign s are placed in the Senate 

Superintendent’s quarterly newsletter. 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

This facility 

The design of t

Some of the 

R 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 10 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

The path of travel to seating areas and 

witness tables is generally adequate. 

Twenty-three comm ittee room witness 

tables have been raised to provide 27 

inches knee space, so tha t individuals 

in wheelchairs can use them. 

three others (e.g., Veterans’ Affairs 

Committee witness table) must be 

altered or replaced. hat do not 

have 27 inches knee space under the 

table should either be raised, or 

alternate table arrangements should be 

made on an as-nee ded basis. 

Doors and knobs to many committee 

rooms pose problems for a person in a 

wheelchair: the y are too hea vy, single 

leaf often does not provide 32 inches of 

clearance, and hardware requires tight 

grasping. ngs are held, they 

should be propped open or som eone 

should be available to open the door. 

[The responsibility for propping open 

and/or providing personnel at hearing 

room doors is with the committee 

staff.] 

AOC reports that the purchase of new tables 

for Veterans Affairs, Small Business and 

Indian Affairs is planned, but provided no 

date. 

However, 

Tables t

When heari

Restrooms: Are building restrooms re adily usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with mo bility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Building restrooms 

(overall) 

All public restrooms in the building (13 

men’s and 13 women’s) are now 

accessible. 

accessible restrooms are not indicated 

on the “You Are Here” floor maps 

posted throughou t the buildings. 

AOC reports that this problem will be 

addressed by the Permanent WayFinding and 

ADA-Compliant Signage Program 

(beginning in fiscal year 2003). e for 

completion. 

However, many of the 

No dat

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 11

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Other Building Facilities: Are buildin g facilities readily use able by indiv iduals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

Inadequate signage makes restrooms 

and other accessible building features 

difficult to find. 

AOC reports that this problem will be 

addresse d by W ayFinding initiative to begin 

in fiscal year 2003. No date for completion. 

Public Telephones There is only one wheelchairaccessible telephone in the building, 

and the coin slot is mounted 4 inches 

beyond reach range. Note - A 

responsib le for telepho ne.] 

[ SA

No action to date. 

Dining facilities None. 

Drinking Fountains There are only a ew functioning water 

fountains in the building, none of which 

are accessib le. 

AOC reports that portable water coolers 

were installed, and permanent design for 

drinking foun tains was being initiated. 

However, we found no evidence of water 

fountains or coolers in the public areas 

during our inspection. Employees state that 

they are only loc ated in offices. 

f

Emergency Evacuation: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Any 

Remaining Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not 

stairs. 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

develop ed by the C apitol Po lice. While 

employees who may need rescue 

assistance are made awa re of these 

locations through the emergency plans 

developed by each employing office, 

designating these areas on building 

maps for visitors is recommended. 

These areas will be identified on new 

building maps under the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program, beginning fiscal year 2003. 

Pamphlets have been distributed by the 

USCP to all offices which indicate refuge 

areas where USCP will assist during an 

emergenc y. 

use 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 12 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Building features to make the building accessible to people who are blind or have low 

vision: 

Building 

Feature Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Senators’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrude more than 4"). 

throughout the building have 

Braille/tactile lettering. During our last 

inspection, w e found that b raille/tactile 

signs at the entran ces to som e Senator’s 

offices were blocked by flags and 

recommended that they be moved a few 

feet so that acce ss to the signs is 

unobstruc ted. During our current 

inspection, we found no flags blocking 

signage. [Note -- The responsibility for 

the placement of flags is with the 

Member’s staff.] 

AOC p laces adviso ries on this subj ect in 

quarterly newsletters. 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

Most sign s are Brailled and have ta ctile 

lettering. 

Signs 

Elevators Eight elevato rs have bee n fully 

renovated and are accessible. 

remaining ele vators still lack B raille 

indicators on control panel, which are 

often mounted above 54-inch 

maximum. tons are often 

mounted above the 42-inch ma ximum. 

No aud ible floor de signation signa ls. 

AOC reports that construction is underway 

on two more elevators, and that funding has 

been provided for the remaining four 

elevators in the building. 

for completion. 

The 

Call but

No date provided 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 13 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Russell 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

Visual alarms have now been installed 

and are operational in the entire 

building. 

Public Telephones Coin-operated TTY is located near the 

Delaware Ave. entrance. 

Senators’ offices also have TTY 

phones. 

Hearing room s Some he aring room s are equip ped with 

assistive listening devices. 

outside each comm ittee room advise 

visitors of their ava ilability. 

Many 

Signs 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 14

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Dirksen Senate Office Building 

Size: 661,00 0 Sq. Ft. - 6 flrs 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely enter the 

building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrance: 

1st and C Stre ets 

Entrance has ramp and is equipped 

with automatic door opener. 

entrance is no w appro priately 

designated with a sign containing the 

international sym bol for acc essibility. 

However, the aluminum handrails are 

unsteady, too low (31.5" instead of 

34"-38 "), and dia meter is too la rge to 

grip (should be 1.25"-2"). The 

handrails are unnecessary, and could be 

removed because the rise of the ramp is 

less than 6 inches. 

AOC r eports that a c omplete re design of this 

entrance is complete, and the project will be 

compe titively bid; expe cted com pletion in 

fiscal year 2003. 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Limited number of parking spaces 

available for individuals with 

disabilities in lot ne ar the access ible 

entrance at 1 st and C Stre ets. 

Capitol Police at accessible entrance 

for availability. 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly ind icate accessib le 

entrance, an d location o f accessible 

entrance indicated at other entranc es. 

AOC r eports that un iform and u p-to-date 

signs will be provided under the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program, beginning in fiscal year 2003. 

The 

Consult 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 15 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an ind ividual in a whe elchair or with m obility impairm ents freely 

go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Senators meet with members of the public, where 

hearings are conducted , and other public mee ting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No major obstructions in path of travel 

to offices and meeting room s. 

Senators’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has access 

Generally adequate clearance for 

wheelchairs in path of travel to areas 

where constituents and other members 

of the public have 

usually confere nce room s, Senator’s 

office, recep tion area. 

In a few offices, placement of furniture 

reduced the path of travel to areas 

where the S enator or sta ff meet with 

members of the public to less than 36 

inches. Efforts sh ould be m ade to 

maintain 36 inches so that an individual 

in a wheelchair can proceed without 

obstruction (32" in do orways). 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

Doors to man y committee rooms p ose 

problem s for individua ls in 

wheelchairs: th ey are too he avy, single 

leaf often does not provide 32 inches of 

clearance, and hardware requires tight 

grasping. ngs are held, they 

should be propped open or som eone 

should be available to open the door. 

The path of travel to seating areas and 

witness tables ar e generally ad equate. 

Witness tables with clearance less than 

27 inches have been raised so that 

individuals in rs can sit at 

the tables. 

access, which are 

When heari

wheelchai

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 16 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Restrooms: Are restrooms read ily usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with mob ility impairments? 

Building restrooms (overall) 

Many restrooms in this building marked as accessible have significant problems limiting 

usability. odifications h ave been made in the r estrooms lo cated next to the South 

Buffet. As these restrooms are located near a dining area, they are a high priority for 

modificatio n. AOC reports that all public restrooms in the Dirksen (21 men’s and 

women’s) will be renovated to full ADA specifications in connection with a major 

renovation of the building which commenced in 1998. Com pletion is scheduled for 

fiscal year 200 3. 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Basement Level (SDBW&BM -1) 

(marked accessible) 

Width of the accessible stall (41.5") 

makes it difficult or impossible for 

person in wheelchair to transfer to the 

toilet, or for an a mbulatory p erson to 

use grab bars. Alternate stall should be 

either 36 inc hes or at least 4 8 inches. 

Pipes under lavatories need insulation 

to prevent burning; mirror is 2 inches 

higher than the 40-inch stand ard. 

AOC reports that the deficiencies will be 

corrected during the complete renovation 

noted above, to be completed in fiscal year 

2003. 

Adjace nt to cafeteria 

(SD-GM & GW - 2A) 

(marked accessible) 

Person in w heelchair ca n not exit 

unassisted because insufficient room on 

latch side of door (less than 18"). An 

automatic opener m ay be the least 

expensive solution. 

Towel dispense r too high; toilet flush 

should face open side; pipes under 

lavatory nee d insulation. 

AOC reports that the deficiencies will be 

corrected during the complete renovation 

noted ab ove. 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Any 

Remaining Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

1st and 4th floor - in 

central stack and 

marked accessible -

(SD-1M&W-2; SD4M&W -2) 

These restrooms have been renovated 

and are no w ADA -complian t. 

No m 

21 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 17

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Other Building Facilities: Are other b uilding facilities read ily useable by ind ividuals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

Floor plan maps on floors which have 

restroom s designated as accessible 

show the locations of those restroo ms. 

Howev er, since there a re not acce ssible 

facilities on every floor, a map on the 

ground flo or near the a ccessible 

entrance indicating where the 

accessible fe atures are loc ated would 

be helpful. 

AOC plans to remedy the signage problems 

in this building as part of the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program beginning in fiscal year 2003. 

Public Telephones There is a telephone with the proper 

height and clearance to be used by an 

individual in a wheelchair located near 

the accessible entrance. l other 

public telephones in the building are 

too high or to o narrow to be used by a 

person in a wheelchair. 

AOC reports this is the joint responsibility of 

AOC and Senate T elecommunications, and 

that work is to be scheduled to make 

Al telephones accessible. No action to date. 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Dining facilities 1. Cafeteria/North Servery - The 

main dining a rea has ade quate 

clearance for wheelchairs. An 

adjoining d ining area, whic h is 

at a lower level, is equipped 

with ramps to permit 

wheelchair access. A second 

handrail sho uld be ad ded to 

the ramps within the seating 

area. Some utensils have been 

lowered to allow peo ple in 

wheelchairs or scooters to use 

them. 

2. Senate Ch ef Café - The Café 

has been renovated and is now 

fully ADA c ompliant. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 18 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Drinking Fountains Sixteen new fountains have been 

installed in the North and South areas 

of Dirksen. owever, the spoutin 

height is still too high (38" instead of 

36"). These fountains replace water 

fountains that had been out of service 

because o f water quality pr oblems. 

H 

Emergency Evacuation: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not use stairs. 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

develop ed by the C apitol Po lice. 

employees who may need rescue 

assistance are made awa re of these 

locations through the emergency plans 

developed by each employing office, 

designating these areas on building 

maps wo uld be help ful for visitors. 

Rescue assistance areas will be designated 

on building signs under the Wayfinding and 

ADA-C ompliant S ignage Pro gram, to be gin 

in fiscal year 2003. ve been 

distributed by the USCP to all offices which 

indicate refuge areas where U SCP will assist 

during an em ergency. 

While 

Pamphlets ha

Building features to make the building accessible to people who are blind or have low 

vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Members’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrude more than 4"). 

throughout the building have 

Braille/tactile lettering. 

Braille/tactile sign s at the entrance s to 

some Senator’s offices are blocked by 

flags and sho uld be mo ved a few fee t to 

so that acces s to the signs is 

unobstruc ted. 

Signage - for offices, 

hearing ms. 

Most signs have tactile lettering and 

Braille. 

Signs 

roo 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 19 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Dirksen 

Elevators The elevators near SD-G45 lack an 

audible floor signal inside the car. The 

central bank of elevators has this signal 

and the up /down interio r signal. 

According to A OC, these and o ther access 

issues will be addressed as part of the 

continuing ele vator mod ernization p roject. 

Six of the ten public elevators in the building 

have been made fully ADA-compliant, and a 

seventh will also be made complian t. 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

Visual alarms are now installed and 

operational throughout the building. 

Public Telephones One public TTY located near 

accessible entrance. Instructions on 

public TTY have faded and should be 

replaced. Location of TTY phone 

should be designated by TTY symbol 

(not just accessibility symbol) on map 

of accessib le features nea r accessible 

entrance. Sin ce this is the only pu blic 

TTY in the building, maps mounted on 

each floor should indicate location, 

perhaps at the bottom of each map 

There are a substantial number of 

phones on each floor that are hearing 

aid compatible and have volume 

controls. Many Sen ators’ offices also 

have TT Y phon es. 

AOC w ill investigate what ca n be don e to 

increase the number of accessible and TTYequipped telephones and to replace the TTY 

instructions. ial contacts have been made 

with the Senate Sergeant at Arms 

Telecommunications Office regarding the 

former and with their Bell Atlantic/Verizon 

representa tive regardin g the latter. ith 

respect to identifying TTY locations on 

building maps, this will be done as a 

function of the Wayfinding and ADAcomplian t Signage P rogram. o date 

provided for completion. 

Hearing rooms Hearing ro oms are eq uipped w ith 

assistive listening devices. Signs 

outside each comm ittee room advise 

visitors of their ava ilability. 

Init

W 

N 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 20

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Hart 

Hart Senate Office Building 

Size: 1,020,000 sq. ft. 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely enter the 

building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrances : 

2nd St, N.E. 

Constitution A ve. 

Two en trances mar ked as acc essible 

are equipped with automatic door 

openers. nd St entrance is 

properly sloped for access and the 

Constitution A ve. entrance has a ramp . 

(Handrail on this ramp, with 3" 

diameter, is too wide for easy 

grasping.) 

AOC reports that design of a new ADAcomplian t ramp is plan ned. No action to 

The 2 date. 

Limited number of parking spaces 

available for individuals with 

disabilities near the accessib le 

entrance. t Capitol Police at 

barricade for availability. 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly ind icate accessib le 

entrance, an d location o f accessible 

entrance indicated at other entranc es. 

AOC reports that new uniform and up-todate signs are being provided under the 

Permanent Wayfinding and ADA-Co mpliant 

Signage Program, beginning in fiscal year 

2003. 

Consul

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an ind ividual in a whe elchair or with m obility impairm ents freely 

go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Members meet with members of the public, where 

hearings are conducted , and other public mee ting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No major obstructions in path of travel 

to offices and meeting room s. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 21 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Hart 

Senators’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has a ccess. 

Generally adequate clearance for wheel 

chairs in path of travel to reception and 

meeting are as in Mem bers’ offices. 

Some of recommendations include 

moving flags to prevent blocking the 

Braille/tactile signs, or seating 

prospective guests who use wheelchairs 

at the head o r foot of a co nference tab le 

where there is more clearance than at 

the side. The responsibility for 

moving flags and seating guests lies 

with staff in the Sena tors’ offices.] 

the 

[Note -

Senate Printing and 

Document Services 

(SH-B04) 

The height of the counter where 

documents are distributed measures 42 

inches, which is 6 inches higher than 

the standard; however, there is a 

separate, lower table available for pick 

up and clo ser study of do cuments 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

There is only one hearing room in the 

Hart Building, Room 216. The entrance 

to this room is ramped and has 

handrails. The witness table is high 

enough to provide clearance for an 

individual in a w heelchair. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 22

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Hart 

Restrooms: Are restrooms read ily usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with mob ility impairments? 

Building restrooms 

(overall) 

There is at least one restroom with an accessible stall located on each floor. However, 

some of the restrooms have significant p roblems lim iting their usability. AOC reports 

that all public restrooms (32 men’s and 32 women’s) 

them ADA -compliant. 

will be fully renovated to make 

Expected completion date is December 2005. 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

1st thru 8th Floors 

(Second St. and 

Constitution A ve.) 

These restrooms (with the exception of 

those on the fifth and seventh floors) 

have bee n made A DA-co mpliant. 

6th floor, C Street side ! Not eno ugh space in the accessib le 

stall for a perso n in a wheelch air to 

shut the doors to the stall because 

neither leaf of double-leaf doors 

provides 32 inches clearance and door 

swings inward. Doors should be 

replaced with a single panel at least 33 

inches wide. 

!There is no grab bar b ehind the toile t, 

and a makeshift grab bar located beside 

toilet on wide side of the toilet. 

!Braille/tactile lettering needed. 

!Internationa l Symbol o f Accessibility 

needed. 

!Bench in front of door reduces 

maneuvering space to 11 inches when 

door is open; the bench should be 

removed. 

!The co at hook in the accessible sta ll 

mounted at 64 inches should be 

lowered. 

AOC reports that the deficiencies will be 

corrected as part of the campus-wide 

restroom modernization project, but 

provide d no date for comp letion. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 23

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Hart 

Other Building Facilities: Are other b uilding facilities read ily useable by ind ividuals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

On each floor, there are several floor 

maps for that floor which indicate the 

location of strooms with accessible 

stalls and the Inte rnational Ac cessibility 

Symbol appe ars outside of these 

restrooms. However, since there are 

significant problems limiting the 

usability of these restrooms, these 

designations may be misleading for 

some indiv iduals who w ill not be able to 

use these facilities. location of 

accessible telephones not indicated on 

“You are Here” floo r maps. 

AOC r eports that sign age impro vements in 

this building will be made as part of the 

Permanent Wayfinding and ADA-Co mpliant 

Signage Program, beginning in fiscal year 

2003. 

Dining facilities None. 

re 

Also,

Emergency Evacuation 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

develop ed by the C apitol Po lice. 

While employees who may need rescue 

assistance are made awa re of these 

locations through the emergency plans 

developed by each employing office, 

designating these areas on building 

maps wo uld be help ful for visitors. 

These areas will be designated on building 

maps under the Permanent Wayfinding and 

ADA-Compliant Signage Program, 

beginning in fisc al year 200 3. Pamp hlets 

have bee n distributed by the USC P to all 

offices which indicate refuge areas where 

USCP will assist during an e mergency. 

use stairs 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 24 
Building features to make the building accessible to people who are blind or have low 

vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Senators’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protruding objects are cane-detectible. 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrude more than 4"). 

throughout the building have 

Braille/tactile letter ing. 

signs at the entrances to some Sena tors’ 

offices are blo cked by flags and should 

be move d a few feet or so that access to 

the signs is unobstructed. 

AOC reports that offices are advised of the 

need to keep the braille/tactile signs 

unobstruc ted through monthly mee tings with 

Senate O ffice Mana gers, and b y notices in 

the Senate Superintendent’s newsletter. 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

Most sign s are Brailled and have ta ctile 

lettering. 

Elevators No Braille indicators on inside control 

buttons and there are no audible floor 

designation signals. 

Accord ing to AO C, all twelve pu blic 

elevators have been scheduled for 

modern ization as pa rt of the ongo ing, 

complex-wide elevator modernization 

project. he elevator project 

has expanded to maximize the elevators’ 

performance, and to provide for replacement 

of some related systems that originally were 

not included. ng is expected to be 

provided in fiscal year 2003. No date for 

completio n. 

Signs 

Braille/tactile 

The scope of t

Fundi

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

There are no visual alarms or other 

means to alert deaf in a building 

emergenc y. 

AOC reports that visual alarms will be 

installed as part of the multi-year, complexwide project to improve fire protection 

systems. 

Public 

Telephones 

Coin-operated TTY phones are located 

near the Constitution Ave. entrance and 

the C St. entrance. Man y Senators’ 

offices have T TY p hones. 

*Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. A- 25

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Cannon House Office Building 

Size: 716,000 sq. ft. 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely 

enter the building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrance: 

NJ Avenue 

Renova ted entranc e is fully accessible. 

New marble vestibule is a good 

example of how access can be achieved 

without sacrificing architectural 

aesthetic. 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Cars and vans with individ uals with 

disabilities per mitted to dro p off at 

accessible entrance. Limited parking 

for people with disabilities on New 

Jersey Ave., south of terrace at 

intersection with Indepen dence. 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly ind icate accessib le 

entrance, an d location o f accessible 

entrance indicated at other entranc es. 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility 

impairments freely go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Members 

meet with members of the public, where hearings are conducted, and other public meeting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No major o bstructions. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 26 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Membe rs’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has a ccess. 

Generally adequate clearance for wheel 

chairs in path of travel to reception and 

meeting areas in Members’ offices. 

a few offices, recommendations include 

moving flags to prevent blocking the 

Braille/tactile signs, moving mailboxes 

that reduce the path of travel into the 

office, raising their conference room 

tables in order to provide sufficient 

knee cleara nce or ho lding meeting s in 

alternate accessible areas when any 

attendees may be in a wheelchair or a 

scooter. [CAO responsible for 

implementation.] We note that at the 

time of our inspection (9/12/00), we 

found many Members’ offices’ doors 

closed (door hardware not accessible -

requires tight grasping). [AOC 

responsible for maintaining and 

furnishing do or hardw are.] 

In 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined.


A- 27

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

Doors to man y committee rooms p ose 

problems for a person in a wheelchair: 

they are too heavy, single leaf often 

does not provide 32 inches of 

clearance, and hardware requires tight 

grasping. ngs are held, they 

should be propped open or som eone 

should be available to o pen the do or. 

Signs are currently posted at hearing 

rooms 402, 441, and 505 , indicating 

accessibility instructions. Some 

witness tables have been raised to 27 

inches to provide adequate clearance 

for wheelch air users; other ta bles (e.g., 

Budge t Committee witness table in 

room 210) remain too low. [Note – 

Chief Administrative Officer of the 

House is responsible for modification 

of tables.] 

AOC r eports that a c onsulting arch itect has 

been assigned to investigate options for door 

hardware improvem ents and rela ted costs in 

all House Office Buildings. nclude 

the addition of automatic door op eners on all 

committee room doors. Automatic door 

openers will be added when doors are 

replaced or c omm ittee rooms u pgraded. 

AOC is currently obtaining necessary 

information from com mittees in ord er to 

fabricate signs a pprop riate to each. In 

addition, committee staff members have been 

made aware of the special needs of visitors 

with disabilities. 

CAO reports that when witnesses are 

identified who require modification of 

existing tables, ar rangemen ts are made to 

accomm odate the w itnesses’ need s. 

When heari

Plans i

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined.


A- 28

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Restroom s: Are restroo ms readily usab le by individuals in w heelchairs or w ith mobility impairme nts? 

Building Feature Accessible Features/Remaining 

Involved Access Barriers* 

Building restrooms 

(overall) 

There is no w at least one a ccessible 

men’s and women’s restroom on four 

floors of the Cannon Building. There 

are no acc essible restroo ms on the fifth 

floor. side the 

restrooms, there are still no floor maps 

or other signage that would enable an 

individual to lo cate the acce ssible 

restroom s. 

Previously reported minor problems 

with the accessible restrooms have 

been co rrected, so th at they are fully 

ADA c ompliant: 

Grab b ar has been installed in 

the women’s room on the first 

floor (near 104) and in the 

women’s accessible restroom 

on the fourth floor (near 407). 

Signage is now mounted on 

the latch side of the door. 

Other than the signs out

Other Building Facilities: Are buildin g facilities readily use able by indiv iduals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

There are no building maps indicating 

the location o f accessible fea tures. 

Drinking Fountains None of the water fountains are 

accessible. 

AOC reports that the noted signage 

deficiencies will be resolved as a function of 

the Permanent Wayfinding and ADACompliant Signage Program. 

installation is dependent on funding 

availability. No date provided for completion. 

AOC reports that existing units will be 

replaced with ADA -complian t fountains. 

design has not been prepared for this work as 

yet in light of other priorities, but the project 

remains on the list to be addressed. No date 

for completion. 

Fabrication and 

A 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 29 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Emergency Evacuation: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not 

stairs. 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

develop ed by the C apitol Po lice. While 

employees who may need rescue 

assistance are made awa re of these 

locations through the emergency plans 

developed by each employing office, 

designating these areas on building maps 

should be conside red to aid visitors. 

These are as will be identified on new 

building maps under the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program. distributed 

by the US CP to all o ffices which indic ate 

refuge areas where USCP will assist during 

an emerge ncy. 

use 

Pamphlets have been

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Members’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrude more than 4"). 

signs have Braille/tactile lettering. 

Some of recommendations include 

moving flags to prevent blocking the 

Braille/tactile signs. 

Most 

the 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

The restroom signage throughout the 

building is mounted on the door, the 

mounting height is above 60 inches, 

and there is no Braille. 

All permanent Wayfinding & ADACompliant signs will have braille and raised 

lettering. ation & installa tion is 

depend ent on fundin g availability. date 

for completion. 

Fabric 

No

Elevators During our last inspection, we found 

that the same audible signal is used for 

both up and down. 

located above the allowable reach 

range of 42 inches. 

Two elevators have now been 

modernized/ replaced. 

AOC reports that this will be addressed as 

part of the continuing elevator modernization 

project. A contract for modernizing an 

additional 10 elevators was issued in March, 

2002. Two of the ten are expected to be 

completed in 2004. 

The call buttons are 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 30 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Cannon 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emerge ncy 

Evacuation 

Visual alarms have been installed and 

are operational throughout the building. 

Public Telephones One public TTY located near 

accessible N ew Jersey A ve. entrance . 

Directional maps to be installed under the 

Permanent Wayfinding and ADA-Co mpliant 

Signage P rogram w ill include this 

information . & installation is 

depend ent on fundin g availability. date 

for completion. 

Hearing rooms Some he aring room s are equip ped with 

assistive listening systems. 

ADA S ervices can p rovide po rtable 

assistive listening de vices for use in 

other hearin g rooms. 

Fabrication

No

House 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 31 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

Longworth House Office Building 

Size: 583,500 sq. ft. 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely enter the 

building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Accessible Entrance: 

Independence Ave. 

The entrance has ramps and an 

automatic door opener. 

ramps are functional, there is 

inadequate turning space at the landing 

(it should be 5 feet use 

turning space is inadequate, someone 

proceed ing down the ramp co uld 

collide into c hains that brid ge a gap in 

the railings. 

AOC r eports that the new ramp design is 

complete . n to follow, sub ject to 

funding availability. No date for completion. 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Vans with disabled individuals are 

permitted to drop off at a ccessible 

entrance. There is limited parking for 

disabled individuals on the East side of 

South Ca pitol street. 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly ind icate accessib le 

entrance, an d location o f accessible 

entrance indicated at other entranc es. 

Although 

by 5 feet). Beca 

Constructio 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 32 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an ind ividual in a whe elchair or with m obility impairm ents freely 

go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Members meet with members of the public, where 

hearings are conducted , and other public mee ting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No ma jor obstru ctions in Lon gworth 

hallways to offices and meeting room s. 

In the tunnel leading to the Cannon, the 

first slope, near the ATM, measures 9% 

(max. is 8.3%), there are no handrails, 

and the floo r is slippery. 

Recom mendatio ns: handrails 

on both sid es and treat the floor to 

make it more slip resistant. t would be 

very difficult and e xpensive to modify 

the slope and such a measure is not 

recomm ended. he second slope is 

acceptable, but handrails should be 

provided and the floor should be 

treated. 

AOC r eports that the design for the h andrails 

has been completed. 

quotes on hand rail fabr ication. ork will 

commence when quotes are received and 

accepted. 

floor have b een evalua ted in regard s to slip 

resistance and care is being ta ken in 

applying any sealant in the area. 

Elevators All elevators have been modernized 

and made ADA co mpliant, with the 

exception of elevator 14, which does 

not have a fun ctioning aud ible signal to 

indicate floors. 

The ramp leading to the accessible bank 

of four elevators on the sixth floor has 

handrails interr upted by p ickets (should 

be continuous). 

Membe rs’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has a ccess. 

Generally adequate clearance for wheel 

chairs in path of travel to reception and 

meeting are as in Mem bers’ offices. 

In a few offices, recommendations 

included lboxes that reduce 

the path of travel into the office, raising 

conferenc e room tab les in order to 

provide sufficient knee clearance, or 

holding me etings in alternate a ccessible 

areas when any attendees may be in 

wheelchairs or scooters. 

AOC r eports that im plementatio n of a 

uniform mo del design m ay be difficult. 

Because funding for the signage program 

will be provided over several years, and 

because signs at the suite entrances are 

presently in place, it is anticipated that the 

replacement of these signs will be a lower 

priority than o ther Wa yfinding and life 

safety-related signs, and therefore several 

years away. l investigate ways of 

making M embers’ staffs aw are of the nee d to 

maintain proper acc ess to the suites. 

provide

I

T 

Currently awaiting 

W 

In addition, sealants used on the 

moving mai

AOC wil

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 33 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

Doors and knobs to many committee 

rooms pose problems for a person in a 

wheelchair: the y are too hea vy, single 

leaf often does not provide 32 inches of 

clearance, and hardware requires tight 

grasping. ngs are held, they 

should be propped open or som eone 

should be available to open the door. 

An automatic door opener has been 

installed at the entrance to the 

Committee on Ways and M eans hearing 

room. 

Some witn ess tables hav e been raise d to 

27 inches to provide adequate clearance 

for wheelchair users. Note - Chief 

Administrative Officer of the Ho use 

responsible for modification of 

remaining tab les.] 

AOC reports that future plans include the 

addition o f automatic d oor ope ners on all 

committee room doors, but no definitive 

schedule has been estab lished. 

temporary measure, signs are posted at 

hearing roo ms indicating a ccessibility 

instructions. o, committee staff members 

have been made aware of the special needs 

of individua ls with disabilities. 

CAO reports that when witnesses are 

identified who require modification of 

existing tables, arra ngeme nts are ma de to 

accom modate th e witnesses’ needs. 

When heari

[

As a 

Als

Restrooms: Are restrooms read ily usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with mob ility impairments? 

Building restrooms 

(overa ll) 

Twelve restrooms are ADA-complaint, with only minor problem s remaining. 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Men’s an d wome n’s 

restrooms on the 4th , 

5th, 6th, 7th floors 

Independence Ave. 

side 

All major e lements in these eight newly 

renovated restrooms are fully 

accessible. 

the required lengths of the grab bars are 

reversed in the accessible men’s room 

on the 6th floor (near room 1640), and 

the mens’s accessible men’s 

the 7th floor (near room 1740). The 

mirror is also mounted too high in the 

6th floor restroo m. 

AOC is p rogressing thr ough the b uilding to 

remedy all remaining problems. No 

completion date. 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Minor problems remain: 

room on 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 34 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

There are three other 

restroom s with 

accessible stalls in the 

building, located on 

the basem ent level, 1 st 

floor (New Jersey 

Ave.), 3 rd floor (New 

Jersey Ave .) 

We had noted at our last inspection that 

flush controls were improperly located 

on the narrow side of the stalls on the 

first and third floors. 

Automatic flush valves were installed 

in all restrooms in the building during 

2001, except accessible stall in the 

restroom on the first floor. 

Other Building Facilities: Are buildin g facilities readily use able by indiv iduals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find. 

Signage on all newly renovated 

restrooms is ADA compliant (proper 

placement, Braille, tactile). However, 

there is no map indicating the 

accessible fe atures in this build ing. 

The noted signage deficiency will be 

resolved as a function of the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program . and installation is 

depend ent on fundin g availability. date 

for completion. 

Fabrication

No

Dining facilities The foo d court me ets the applica ble 

ADAAG standards and is accessible for 

people with disabilities. 

ramp and railings are at the a pprop riate 

slope and height and the seating area is 

accessible. ray slides measure 34 

inches from the ground, meeting the 

applicable standard. sers for 

soft drinks measure 47 inches from the 

ground; the se dispense rs are acces sible 

because the tray slides are at the 

approp riate height to allo w persons in 

wheelchairs to reach forward and serve 

themselves. 

and condiment stations are at 

accessible heights and have been 

arranged so that ns in 

wheelchairs can reach them without 

requesting assistance. The offices 

responsible for the food court’s design 

and implementation have done an 

excellent job in ensuring that there are 

no barriers to persons with d isabilities. 

The entrance 

The t

The dispen

Also, the cup dispensers 

perso 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 35 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

Drinking Fountains The spout height for the drinking 

fountains is often higher than the 36 

inches allowed, and the controls are 

often difficult to operate. 

Emergency Evacuation: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not use 

stairs. 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Plan developed 

by the Capitol Police. While employees 

who may need rescue assistance are 

made aware of these locations through 

the emergency plans developed by each 

employing office, designating these 

areas on building maps should be 

considered to aid visitors. 

These are as will be identified on new 

building maps under the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program. distributed 

by the US CP to all o ffices which indic ate 

refuge areas where USCP will assist during 

an emerge ncy. 

Pamphlets have been

Building features to make the building accessible to persons who are blind or have low 

vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Members’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrud e more tha n 4"). 

Braille/tactile sign s at the entrance s to 

some Senator’s offices are blocked by 

flags, and should be moved a few feet 

so that acces s to the signs is 

unobstruc ted. 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

The signage on eight newly renovated 

restrooms have Braille/tactile lettering. 

Most other signs throughout the 

building have Braille/tactile lettering. 

Elevators Recently modernized elevators have 

proper audible signals and 

Braille/tactile lettering. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 36 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Longworth 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

Visual alarms have been installed and 

are operational throughout the building. 

Public Telephones TTY located at Independence Ave. 

entrance o n first floor near e levators. 

Hearing rooms House ADA services can provide 

portable assistive listening devices for 

use in comm ittee hearing ro oms. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 37 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Rayburn House Office Building 

Size: 2,256,100 sq. ft. 

Entering the Building: Can an individual in a wheelchair or with mobility impairments freely enter the 

building? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future 

Improvements 

Accessible Entrance: 

Main Entrance, 

(Horsesh oe drive o ff 

South Capitol Street) 

Level entry ac cess to entran ce; entrance is 

equipped with an automatic opener. 

The curb ramp from the sidewalk to the 

beginning of the driveway lacks sufficient 

flat maneuve ring room ; however, p eople 

with disabilities may enter on the 

driveway where they do not encounter 

such a barrier. 

Passenger Loading/ 

Drop-o ff 

Limited pa rking for individ uals with 

disabilities available on East side of 

South Capitol Street across from 

accessible e ntrance. 

Signage for 

Accessible Entrance 

Signs clearly indicate accessible entrance, 

and location of accessible entrance 

indicated at other entrances. 

Access to Programs and Activities: Can an ind ividual in a whe elchair or with m obility impairm ents freely 

go from the accessible entrance to the areas in the building where Members meet with members of the public, where 

hearings are conducted , and other public mee ting areas? 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Descriptions of Accessible 

Features/Remaining Access 

Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Path of trave l to 

offices and meeting 

rooms 

No major obstructions in the path of 

travel to offices and meeting room s. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 38 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Impleme ntation of a unifo rm mod el suite 

entrance design may be difficult. 

funding for the signage program will be 

provided over several years (although no 

funds have been provided as yet for the 

House Office Buildings), and because signs 

at the suite entran ces are pre sently in place, it 

is anticipated that the replacement of these 

signs will be a lower priority than other 

Wayfinding and life safety-related signs, and 

therefore sev eral years awa y. AOC w ill 

investigate ways o f making M embers’ staffs 

aware of the need to ma intain proper access 

to the suites. 

Access to Committee 

Rooms 

Signs near the entrances of some 

committee rooms advise who to contact 

if special accommodations are needed. 

Some witness tables have been raised 

to 27 inche s to provid e adequ ate 

clearance for wheelcha ir users. 

Hearing ro om doo rs that are difficult to 

open and not equipp ed autom atic 

openers should be propped open when 

hearings are held or someone should be 

available to o pen the do or. 

Four hearing rooms now have 

automatic openers: Rooms 2117, 2118, 

2359 and 2360. 

Because 

Membe rs’ offices -

Areas where the 

public has a ccess. 

Generally adequate clearance for 

wheelchairs in path of travel to areas 

where pub lic has access (typ ically, 

reception areas and eeting areas in 

Members’ offices). 

recommendations included moving 

flags to prevent blocking the 

Braille/tactile signs, moving mailboxes 

that reduce the path of travel into the 

office, raising their conference room 

tables in order to provide sufficient 

knee cleara nce or ho lding meeting s in 

alternate accessible areas when any 

attendees may be in wheelchairs or 

scooters. 

m 

Some of the 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined.


A- 39

Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Restrooms: Are building restrooms readily usable by individuals in wheelcha irs or with mobility 

impairments? 

Building restrooms 

(overall) 

Two restroom s per floor (one men’s, 

one women’s) are substantially ADAcompliant. 

have some rema ining access problems, 

noted below. Increasing the number of 

restroom s with accessib le stalls should 

be considered since the Rayburn is a 

very large building. (There are a total 

of forty restrooms in the building.) 

In addition to the accessible restroo ms, 

there are several other restrooms 

improperly identified as accessible on 

the floor maps near the elevato rs. 

These re strooms, eq uipped w ith 

alternate stalls, are not useable by most 

individuals in wheelchairs, although the 

grab bars in these alternate stalls can be 

helpful to individuals with other 

mobility impairments. In the previous 

inspection, we recommended that the 

signage be clarified on the maps so that 

people don’t have to travel long 

distances in this ve ry large buildin g to 

ascertain if a restro om is useab le by a 

person in a wheelchair. 

The accessible signs have been 

removed from the doors of the 

restrooms improperly designated as 

accessible, but the floor maps have not 

yet been corrected. 

AOC reports that ADA mod ifications to the 

restroom s will be mad e in accord ance with 

plans provided by an outside consultant, but 

no date was provided for completion. 

Some of them, however, 

Specific Restrooms Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Near room B349 

and room 2450 

!There is o nly one grab bar in this 

stall; a second is needed. In addition, 

the existing grab bar at 36 inches is too 

short (a minim um of is needed) . 

As noted above, AOC reports that 

modifications will be made in accordance 

with plans pro vided by a n outside co nsultant. 

42" No date provided for completion. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 40 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Near room 2107 !Equipp ed with a whe elchair 

accessible sta ll and an alterna te stall 

(36" in width with grab bars - usable by 

some indiv iduals with mo bility 

impairments and a small percentage of 

wheelchair users ). 

!Knob hardware on interior o f stall 

door requires tight grasping and 

twisting. 

As noted above, AOC reports that 

modifications will be made in accordance 

with plans pro vided by a n outside co nsultant. 

No date provided for completion. 

Near rooms 

2306 

!Equipp ed with a whe elchair 

accessible sta ll and an alterna te stall. 

!Knob hardware on interior o f stall 

door requires tight grasping and 

twisting. 

!Coat hoo k in accessible stall should 

be lowered. 

As noted above, AOC reports that 

modifications will be made in accordance 

with plans pro vided by a n outside co nsultant. 

No date provided for comp letion. 

2239 and 

Other Building Facilities: Are other b uilding facilities read ily useable by ind ividuals in whee lchairs or with 

mobility impairments? 

Building Features Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Signage - Are 

accessible features 

easy to find? 

There are floor plans near the elevators 

on each floo r which desig nate 

accessible restrooms. As noted above, 

some of these designations are 

misleading. 

Dining facilities Dining facilities ar e accessible overall. 

Drinking Fountains The spout height is often higher than 36 

inches and c ontrols often d ifficult to 

operate. 

An in-house study of the fountains was 

completed and a model selected. However, 

the projec t is on hold pe nding final ap proval. 

No date provided for comp letion. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 41 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Emergency Evacuation: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Areas of rescue 

assistance for persons 

who can not 

stairs. 

These areas are identified on the 

Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

develop ed by the C apitol Po lice. While 

employees who may need rescue 

assistance are made awa re of these 

locations through the emergency plans 

developed by each employing office, 

designating these areas on building 

maps wo uld be help ful for visitors. 

These areas will be identified on new 

building maps under the Permanent 

Wayfinding and ADA-Com pliant Signage 

Program. distributed 

by the US CP to all o ffices which indic ate 

refuge areas where USCP will assist during 

an emerge ncy. 

use 

Pamphlets have been

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals who are the blind or have 

low vision: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Committee Ro oms/ 

Members’ Offices 

Generally, the public circulation routes 

in the building are accessible and any 

protrudin g objects a re cane-de tectible 

(items more than 27" above floor level 

that protrude more than 4"). 

Signage - for rooms, 

exits, restrooms 

Most sign s have Bra ille/tactile 

lettering, althoug h some do not. 

Braille/tactile sign s at the entrance s to 

some Member’s offices are blocked by 

flags which should be moved a few feet 

so that acces s to the signs is 

unobstruc ted. 

All permanent Wayfinding & ADACompliant signs will have braille and raised 

lettering. ation & installa tion is 

depend ent on fundin g availability. 

Fabric 

Elevators Some interior call buttons are mounted 

too high; no buttons should be higher 

than 54 inches. ble floor 

designation signals. 

All accessibility issues will be addressed as 

part of the campus-wide elevator 

modern ization pro ject. ction recen tly 

began for o ne group of elevators in th is 

building. thers to be sch eduled. N o date 

provided for completion. 

No audi Constru 

O 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 42 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Rayburn 

Building features to make the building accessible to individuals with hearing impairments: 

Building Feature 

Involved 

Accessible Features/Remaining 

Access Barriers* 

AOC Plans for Future Improvements 

Emergency 

Evacuation 

AOC reports that visual alarms have 

been installed and are operational on 

the Sub-Basement thru 4th floors . 

[Remainin g floors are a pproxim ately 

50% in stalled but are not opera tional.] 

Public Telephones A public T TY is loc ated near the South 

Capitol Street entrance. t would be 

helpful if this accessible telephone and 

TTY d evice were designated on the 

floor map. 

I

AOC reports all alarms are anticipated to be 

installed and operational in early fiscal year 

2003. 

Directional maps to be installed under the 

Permanent Wayfinding and ADA-Co mpliant 

Signage P rogram w ill include this 

information . & installation is 

depend ent on fundin g availability. No date 

for comp letion. 

Fabrication

Hearing rooms Assistive listening systems have been 

installed in some hearing room s. House 

ADA se rvices can p rovide po rtable 

assistive listening de vices for use in 

other committee hearing rooms. 

sound system s have bee n installed in 

four hearing rooms - 2172, 2359, 2360 

and 2318. 

AOC reports that there is no definitive time 

frame for completion o n remaining rooms; 

scheduling is subject to the wishes of the 

committees. 

New 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 43 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

Other Facilities 

In addition to the Capitol and Senate and House office buildings, which have extensive areas to 

which the public has access, there are several other facilities where there are relatively limited 

areas open to the public. The major access issues in those facilities are described below. We 

have also included the newly renovated and re-opened Botanic Gardens in this section. 

Ford House Office Building 

The only areas open to the public in this building are portions of the Congressional Budget 

Office, located on the fourth floor, and the cafeteria on the first floor. 

Entering the Building 

The accessible entrance is located at Third Street, S.E., near the D Street intersection. There is a 

level path of travel to the entrance, which is equipped with an automatic door opener. Passengers 

can be dropped off at this entrance and there is limited parking for persons with disabilities near 

the accessible entrance. An accessible ramp has now been installed at the Second Street 

entrance. 

Access to Programs and Activities 

Members of the public attend meetings in the Congressional Budget Office conference room 

(H2-407). There are no barriers impeding access to seating areas and tables have adequate height 

(over 27") to permit individuals in wheelchairs to sit at the table. The public also has access to 

the Congressional Budget Office publications room. Although the counter exceeds the 36" 

standard, staff are available to assist. 

There are no major obstructions in the hallways that must be traveled to reach the public areas in 

the Congressional Budget Office. However, the elevator call buttons on the first floor are 48 

inches from the floor, 6 inches too high, and there is no Braille/tactile beneath the buttons. In 

addition, the elevators lack audible signals to indicate movement from floor to floor. 

AOC reports that the elevator modernization program in this building has been budgeted. AOC 

reports that all elevators will be completed by 2004. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 44 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

Restrooms 

Fourth floor restrooms, marked as accessible. There is insufficient clearance on the latch side of 

the door (less than 18") to permit a person in a wheelchair to exit unassisted. The doors to these 

restrooms are too heavy, and have hardware that requires tight grasping and twisting. 

Consequently, a staff member should be available to assist or the doors should be propped open 

when individuals with mobility impairments use these facilities. 

AOC reports that the hardware in these restrooms is being upgraded. With respect to the 

restroom with lounge area, the sign indicating accessibility has been taken down as no 

modifications can be made to the door at this time. There is another accessible restroom down 

the corridor. 

Additional access problems found in this restroom are uninsulated pipes under the lavatories, 

which can cause burns. The pipes should be insulated or the “trap” turned away from the wall to 

prevent burning hazards. A 25-inch back grab bar has been installed, but should be raised to at 

least 33 inches from the floor. Although the grab bar is 11 inches short of the standard, it is not 

technically feasible for a longer back grab bar to be installed. 

We found during our current inspection that the grab bar and pipe insulation modifications are 

complete in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. However, the women’s restroom lacks an 

ambulatory stall (1 required where there are 6 or more stalls; this restroom has 8). 

First Floor restroom, across from the cafeteria carry-out 

The facility has been renovated and is largely accessible. Automatic openers have been installed


on the renovated doors. The dimensions of the accessible stall and grab bars are the height of the


toilet, urinal, and coat hook are all proper. In addition, the sink is at the right height and has the


proper hardware. 


However, other than the signage on the door, there is no other signage in the public areas of the


building indicating the location of this accessible restroom. Other problems are uninsulated pipes


under the accessible sink and the placement of the toilet flush on the wrong side of the toilet. 


We found during our current inspection that pipes within all restrooms in the building have been


insulated. The AOC reports that other modifications are in the process of being completed, and


that the noted signage deficiencies will be resolved as a function of the Permanent Wayfinding


and ADA-Compliant Signage Program. Fabrication and installation is dependent on funding


availability. 


Cafeteria and Carry Out


* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 45 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

These dining areas are largely accessible. 

Water Fountains 

The height of the spout on the accessible unit on the fourth floor (near the men’s restroom) is 

four inches higher than the 36-inch standard. The paddle hardware is accessible. The “spout 

trajectory” could be repositioned so that the flow of water is within three inches from the front 

edge of the fountain. The spouts on the fountain next to the women’s restroom on the fourth 

floor and on the fountain across from the carry-out cafeteria are both closer to the standards. Both 

measure 37 inches from the floor to the spout; the spout trajectory is within three inches. 

We found during our inspection that hi-lo accessible fountains have been installed; however, 

spout height is 40” (required height is 36"). 

Capitol Police Building 

Contact with the public at the Capitol Police Building is limited primarily to issuing of permits 

for special events and taking individuals into custody. For security reasons, Capitol Police 

personnel escort members of the public when they are in the building. 

Entering the Building 

There is a level path of travel from the west parking lot into the first floor of the facility. 

However, because this lot is restricted to police use, no parking or drop-off area is available to 

persons with disabilities. Individuals using mobility aids cannot use the walkway adjacent to the 

building because the gate on D Street yields only 29 inches of clearance, and due to the single 

riser at the entry. At our recommendation, a ramp was added to the walkway up to the entry. 

We found during our current inspection that handrails have been added to the accessible 

walkway from D St. to the building entrance. However, signage is still needed to direct 

individuals to the accessible entrance. 

Access to Programs and Activities 

For security reasons, members of the public are accompanied by an escort when they proceed 

beyond the reception area. Consequently, barriers such as lack of signage, heavy doors, and 

inaccessible elevator controls can be addressed by Capitol Police personnel escorting members of 

the public throughout the facility. 

Permit Issuance All counters exceed the 36-inch height standard; however, at counters where the 

public must write and/or pass information back and forth, USCP may use other nearby usable 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 46 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

writing surfaces to remedy the problem. The counters exceed the 36-inch high standard in the 

office where permits are issued and at other counters where the public must write or pass 

information over the counter. In the office where permits are issued, an area is provided adjacent 

to the counter for those unable to use the existing counter for writing or obtaining information. 

Auxiliary aids and services are provided on an as-needed basis through Congressional Special 

Services. 

Taking Individuals into Custody Detainees are held in holding cells for approximately 2-3 hours 

before they are transferred to the D.C. Metropolitan Police. The Capitol Police enlist the 

assistance of Congressional Special Services to provide auxiliary aids and services, such as sign 

language interpretation, when they are needed for effective communication. Although the toilets 

in the holding cells are inaccessible, detainees will be escorted to the accessible restrooms 

adjacent to the processing area. 

Restrooms There are a number of problems with the restrooms designated as accessible that 

should be addressed when they are renovated. However, renovating these facilities is a relatively 

low priority since these facilities are seldom used by the public. 

a. Doors. There is insufficient clearance on the latch side of the door in both the men’s and 

women’s restroom to permit a person in a wheelchair from exiting the restroom unassisted. 

(ADAAG minimum is 18"). The doors to all of the restrooms are too heavy (8 lbs. of force 

required to open door), and have hardware that requires tight grasping and twisting. 

b. The door to the stall in the women’s room is 30.5 inches wide. The stall width of 36 inches 

meets the specifications for an alternate stall, usable by a person with ambulatory disabilities, 

but not for a person in a wheelchair. Such a stall is not usable by most people in wheelchairs 

since very few can stand up and pivot to transfer to the toilet seat. 

c. The toilet paper dispenser is occasionally mounted too far from the back wall, making it 

difficult for a person with ambulatory disabilities to reach it; these dispensers should be no more 

than 36" from the back wall. 

d. The urinal in the men’s room is 18.5 inches high, which is 1.5 inches above the standard. 

e. The sinks have controls/faucets that require tight grasping, and should be replaced with 

paddles or other accessible faucets. The pipes under the sinks do not require insulation because 

the “trap” has been turned away, flush with the wall, preventing burning hazards. 

f. Coat hooks are mounted too high on the stall doors. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 47 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

This will be addressed as part of the Capitol Police Master Plan; no date for completion. 

Throughout the Capitol Complex Perhaps the most frequent contact that the Capitol Police have 

with members of the public throughout the Capitol complex is to respond to requests for 

information and assistance from visitors. New recruits receive training from Congressional 

Special Services on disability awareness and the resources that are available from Congressional 

Special Services and others to assist the police in communicating with individuals with 

disabilities and providing other assistance. 

U.S. Senate Employees Child Care Center1 

The new Child Care Center is fully ADA-compliant. An accessible walkway leads to the 

building entrance, and accessible parking spaces are available for those who drive, with a curbed 

ramp connecting the parking lot and entrance level. The entrance has a fully accessible door, 

including appropriate hardware mounted at the proper height (over 48"). There is a unisex, fully 

accessible restroom on the first floor. Also on the first floor is an accessible public telephone 

with a TTY device. Access to the second floor is provided by an elevator that is fully ADAcompliant. Finally, of special note is that the play area has been built in full compliance with the 

ADAAG-proposed play area guidelines (final rule published by the U.S. Access Board). 

Botanic Gardens 

The newly renovated Botanic Gardens Conservatory was re-opened to the public in September 

2001, and is fully accessible, with the exception of a few technical problems in the restrooms. 

Specifically, coat hooks are mounted too high on accessible stall doors; doors for accessible stalls 

swing into clear floor space for accessible lavatories; and apron clearance is not provided under 

the accessible lavatories. We note that if apron clearance is provided under the accessible 

lavatories, the clear floor space can extend 19 inches under the lavatories, and the doors would 

no longer swing into the clear floor space. The AOC reports that it will address these problems 

1 Because placements are offered to the public when available, we have included this facility in our 

inspection. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 48 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

and specifically that it will correct the height of the coat hooks by December 31, 2002. 

(The Children’s Garden and the Meditation Garden are closed for construction until the summer 

of 2003.) 

Office of Compliance 

The Office of Compliance, located on the second floor of the John Adams Building of the 

Library of Congress, provides information to Legislative Branch employees and employing 

offices about the Congressional Accountability Act (“CAA”), and conducts mediations and other 

proceedings to resolve disputes concerning employment issues against under the CAA. The 

Office also administers section 210 of CAA, which applies to members of the public who are not 

employees. 

Although most of the individuals who come to the office are Legislative Branch 

employees, members of the public occasionally come to the Office to obtain information, usually 

about section 210. 

Entering the Building 

The entrance to the John Adams Building has ramps to provide wheelchair access and an 

automatic door opener. We previously identified missing handrails on the ramps as a problem at 

the entrance. During our current inspection, we found that the lower ramps leading into the 

building in which the Office of Compliance is located (the Adams Building of the Library of 

Congress) now have handrails. In addition, the right handrail on one of the upper ramps has been 

extended at the top of the ramp. 

Path of Travel to Office of Compliance from Entrance 

Elevators The elevators leading to the Office of Compliance are ADA compliant. 

Doors The doors to the reception area are heavy and have inaccessible hardware. Because 

the lobby is an area of refuge, the doors should be equipped with “hold open” devices so that they 

are normally kept open, but will close automatically in the event of fire or other emergency. 

Access to Programs and Activities 

Most of the programs to which the public has access are conducted in the conference 

room. The larger conference table, which formerly was too low for individuals who use 

wheelchairs, has been raised so that there is a clearance of 27 inches under the table. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 49 
Appendix A: Individual Building Reports 

Other Facilities 

Restroom 

As part of its ongoing restroom modernization project, the AOC has addressed the 

following problems: the grab bar in the accessible stall should be extended to the 40-inch 

standard; the coat hook is mounted at the proper height, and the soap dispenser was remounted 

from behind the accessible faucet to a more convenient location. The door to the restroom is 

heavy and has knob hardware requiring tight grasping and twisting, which prevents many 

individuals with mobility impairments from entering or exiting the restrooms without assistance. 

However, there is a relatively low priority for these modifications since usage of this restroom by 

members of the public is very limited compared to restrooms in many other locations in the 

Legislative Branch. 

The sign located near the Executive Director’s Office to indicate the accessible restroom 

does not clearly indicate the location of the accessible restroom and may be confusing. The sign 

outside the accessible restroom should incorporate raised and Braille characters and indicate that 

the restroom is unisex. 

Visual Alarms 

As demonstrated during a recent emergency requiring evacuation of the Adams Building, 

the visual fire alarms designed to alert individuals who are hearing-impaired of the need to 

evacuate are deficient in the following regard. The building fire alarm system is set up so that, if 

a pull station is pulled in either of the two zones in the building (designated as “North” and 

“South”0, the audible fire alarm signals will be activated in both zones, so that occupants of the 

entire building are promptly notified of the need to evacuate. However, unlike the audible alarm 

signals, the visual alarms are not activated when the fire alarm pull station is pulled in the other 

zone. The visual alarms in a particular zone will only be activated if a pull station is pulled in 

that same zone. 

* Alterations or survey findings since last inspection are underlined. 

A- 50 
 Appendix B - The Inspections 

PERSONNEL & METHODS 

Personnel Cheryl Polydor, Acting General Counsel, had overall responsibility for 

preparing this report. Patricia Reardon-King, Paralegal and Administrative Assistant with 

the Office of the General Counsel, and Dorothea Ewing, Systems Administrator Assistant 

with the Office of the Executive Director, assisted with report production. 

The Acting General Counsel is grateful for the assistance of Earlene Sesker, 

Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Access Board. Ms. Sesker conducted the inspections under 

the direction of the staff of the Office of Compliance General Counsel, and provided 

extensive technical assistance. She was essential to this undertaking. At the Access 

Board, Ms. Sesker provides technical advice to governmental entities and private 

organizations on access standards, and helped develop the recently published access 

guidelines for recreational facilities and revisions of the ADAAG standards. Prior to her 

current position, Ms. Sesker, a graduate of the University of Texas, worked in the Access 

Board’s Office of Compliance, where she investigated and resolved cases involving 

possible violations of the Architectural Barriers Act. 

The Acting General Counsel also is grateful to David Capozzi, Director of the Access 

Board’s Office of Technical Information, and to Lawrence Roffee, Executive Director of 

the Access Board, for allowing Ms. Sesker to assist the Office of Compliance. 

Applicable Standards Section 210 of the CAA applies all of the public service 

provisions of Title II of the ADA to the entities listed in section 210 that provide “public 

services, programs, or activities.” 2 U.S.C. § 1331. Section 210 also applies portions of 

the public accommodations provisions of title III of the ADA to the these entities to the 

extent that they operate a “place of public accommodation” as set forth in 42 U.S.C. § 

12182(7).1 

The CAA directs the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to issue regulations 

1 To be considered a “place of public accommodation” the covered entity must operate a 

facility that falls within one of the following 12 categories: (1) places of lodging; (2) 

establishments serving food or drink; (3) places of exhibition or entertainment; (4) places of 

public gathering; (5) sales or rental establishments; (6) service establishments; (7) public 

transportation terminals; (8) places of public display or collection; (9) places of recreation; 

(10) places of education; (11) social service center establishments; and (12) places of 

exercise or recreation. With regard to the entities listed in section 210(a), they are also 

covered under the provisions of title III of the ADA with the possible exception of the 

Capitol Police. 

B- 1 
 Appendix B - The Inspections 

to implement Section 210 that are the same as the substantive regulations promulgated 

by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Transportation to implement Titles II and III 

of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Board can modify those standards only to 

make rights and protections for persons with disabilities more effective under the CAA. 2 

U.S.C. §210(e)(2). On January 7, 1997, the Board adopted disability access regulations 

and transmitted them to Congress for approval, as required by the statute, but those 

regulations have not yet been approved. 

Until the Board’s regulations are approved, the CAA directs that the “most relevant 

substantive executive agency regulation” be applied. 2 U.S.C. §411. For the disability 

access provisions, the most relevant substantive regulations are the ADA regulations set 

forth in Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR) Parts 35 and 36. Accordingly, 

these standards were applied in conducting the inspections. 

The ADA standards applied in conducting the inspections are identical to regulations 

adopted by the Board that are awaiting Congressional approval. Consequently, the 

inspection findings would be the same under either set of standards. 

Inspection Schedule and Procedures For the present report, only areas where 

modifications or alterations affecting public access have been made since the previous 

inspection in 2000 were inspected, since examining areas where conditions are 

unchanged would yield no new information. The areas where modifications or alterations 

had been made, and other developments since the 2000 report, were identified with the 

assistance of the Architect of the Capitol, the Congressional Special Services Office, and 

the Chief Administrative Officer of the House. The inspections were conducted during 

August and November 2002, by an Accessibility Specialist with the U.S. Access Board, 

working under the direction of the staff of the Office of General Counsel. This report 

summarizes the results of those inspections. 

B- 2

Appendix C: ADA Standards 

ADA ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS 

The following are brief descriptions of the ADA standards relevant to the conditions observed in Capitol Hill buildings. 

The ADA requires that these standards be followed in new construction and alterations except in special circumstances. 

In existing building s, when the rem oval of barriers to access can be rea dily achieved, the specifications in these standards 

are to be followed to the extent readily achievable. Such measures would includ e, for examp le, providing a ramp with 

a steeper slo pe or wide ning a doo rway to a narr ower width than mand ated by the stan dards. 28 CFR § 3 04 (d). 

The standards appear in Title 28, Part 36, Appendix A of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The CFR should be 

consulted for the full text of the standard. 

ADA Standards Brief Description/Subject


28 CFR Part 36 


Appendix A


3.5 Definitions 

- Acc ess ible describ es a site, bu ilding, facility, or portion thereof th at com plies with 

the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. 

- Clear floor space is the minimum unobstructed floor or ground space required to 

accom mod ate a sing le, stationary w heelcha ir and occ upant. 

- Pub lic use is the interior or exterior rooms or spaces that are made available to the 

general public. 

- Signage is displayed verbal, symbolic, tactile, and pictorial information. 

4 Accessible Elemen ts and Spac es: Scope an d Techn ical Requireme nts 

- Altera tions to ex isting buildin gs an d fac ilities shall co mp ly with th e app licable 

provisions for new construction. 

4.1 Minimu m Requ irements 

- Overview of standards for new construction and alterations. 

4.2 Space Allowance and Reach Ranges 

- The minimum clear width for continuous passage of a wheelchair is 36-inches, 

except for passage at a point less than 2 feet, such as throug h a doorway, which 

requires only 32-inches clear width. 

- The maximum height for a forward reach of an object is 48-inches. 

- The maximum height for the side reach of an object is 54-inches. 

4.3 Accessible Rou te 

- At least one accessible route shall be provided from public transportation stops, 

access ible parking, accessible passenger loading zones, and public streets or 

sidewalks to the accessible building entrance. 

- The minim um clear width of an acc essible route is 36-inches, except at a door. 

- Changes in level along an accessible route of more than 1⁄2-inch require a ramp, 

elevator, or platform lift. 

C- 1

Appendix C: ADA Standards 

4.4 Protruding O bjects 

- Objects whose bottom edge is between 27- and 80-inches from the floor s hall 

protrude no more than 4-inches into walks, halls, corridors, passageways, or aisles. 

4.5 Ground and Floor Surfaces 

- Generally, ground and floor surfaces along an ac cessible route shall be stable, firm, 

and slip-re sistant. 

- Changes in level of 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch shall be beveled (slanted or inclined). Changes 

in level of m ore than 1⁄2-inch require a r amp . (see also 4.7 or 4.8) 

- Carpet shall be securely fastened. 

4.6 Parking and Passenger Loading Zones 

- When a public parking lot has 101 to 150 spaces, a minimum of 5 of these spaces 

mus t be acc essible. ( see 4.1.2(5)) 

4.7 Curb Ramps 

- Curb ramps are necessary wherever an accessible route crosses a curb. 

- The transition from a cur b ram p to a walk or street shall be flush and free of abrupt


chang es. (see also 4.8.2)


- Curb ramps shall be at least 36-inches wide, with flared sides and a maximum


slope of 1:10.


- Curb ramps shall not be obstructed by parked vehicles. 

- Curb ramps shall be contained within street markings. 

4.8 Ramps 

- Any part of an access ible ro ute that has a slo pe of grea ter tha n 1:20 sha ll be 

considered a ramp. 

- Ramps in existing buildings and facilities where space limitations prohibit the use 

of a 1:12 slope can have a slope between 1:10 an d 1:12 with a maxim um rise of 6 

inches and a slo pe betw een 1:8 a nd 1:10 w ith a ma ximu m rise of 3 inche s. (see 

4.1.6(3)) 

- There shall be a level landing at the bottom and top of each ramp at least as wide 

as the ra mp lea ding to it. 

- If a ramp has a rise of greater than 6-inches then it shall have handrails on each 

side. The handrails shall not rotate within their fittings, they shall extend at least 12-

inches beyond the top and bottom of the ram p seg me nt, an d the top of the h andrail 

shall be mounted between 34- and 38-inches above the ramp surface. 

4.9 Stairs 

- Stairways shall have handra ils at both side s of the s tairs. (see also 4.26) 

- Stairs, steps, or escalators may not be considered part of the accessible route. 

(see also 4.3) 

4.10 Elevators 

- Call button s in ele vator lobbie s and halls s hall be centered at 42-inches above the 

floor. The call buttons shall be raised or flush. 

- Audible signals at each entrance shall indicate the direction of the car -- once for 

up and twice for down. 

- Elevator entrances shall have raised and Braille floor designations mounted 60-

inches above the floor. 

- Elevator doors shall open and close autom atically and have a reopening device that 

C- 2

Appendix C: ADA Standards 

will stop and reopen a car door automatically if it becomes obstructed by an object 

or person. Elevator door reopening devices shall remain effective for at least 20 

seconds. 

- The minimum time from notification that an elevator car is answering a call until the 

doors of the car start to close shall be 5 seconds. 

- The min imu m tim e for elevator doors to remain fully open in response to a car c all 

is 3 seconds. 

- The floor area of elevator cars shall provide space for wheelchair users to enter, 

maneuve r within reach of the controls, and exit from the car. 

- The elevator control p anel shall h ave raised or flu sh bu ttons , tactile and B raille 

information, and shall be no higher than 54-inches above the floor for a side 

approach and 48-inches above the floor for a front approach. 

- The emergency two-way communication system shall not require tight grasping or 

pinching in order to use an d shall not re quire voice com mun ication. (see also 4.27) 

4.13 Doors (see also 4.1) 

- Revolving doors or turnstiles shall not be the only means of passa ge at an 

accessible entrance or along an accessible route. 

- If doo rways have two independently opera ted leaves , then at leas t one leaf s hall 

provide a minim um o pening o f 32-inch es. (see also 4.2.1 and 4.3.3) 

- The min imu m s pace betwee n two door s in a s eries is 48-inches plus the width of 

any door swinging into the space. 

- Thresholds at doorw ays shall be beveled with a slope no grea ter than 1:2 . (see 

4.5.2) 

- Ope rating devic es on access ible doors shall have a shape that is easy to grasp 

with one h and and d oes not re quire tight grasp ing, pinching or twisting to operate. 

Lever-operated mechan isms, push-type m echanisms , and U-shaped ha ndles are 

acceptable designs. 

- If a door has an automatic closer then it should be adjusted so that from an open 

position of 70 degrees, the door will take at least 3 seconds to move to a point 3-

inches from the latch. 

- With the exception of fire doors, the maximum force for pushing or pulling open an 

interior door is 5 pounds. 

4.14 Entrances 

- Entra nces req uired to be access ible sh all be pa rt of an acc ess ible ro ute to public 

transportation stops, ac ces sible p arkin g, passenger load ing zones , and public 

streets or sidewalks as well as all accessible spaces or elements within the building 

or facility. (see also 4.1 and 4.3) 

4.15 Drinking Foun tains and Water C oolers 

- Spouts shall be no higher than 36-inches from the floor to the spout outlet. The 

spout shall be in the front of the unit and direct the water flow parallel to the front of 

the unit with the spout providing water flow at least 4-inches high. 

- The c ontrols sh all be front m ounted , operab le with one hand, and not require tight 

graspin g, pinching , or twisting. (see also 4.27.4) 

- Wall mounted units shall have clear knee space from the bottom of the apron to the 

floor of 27-inches, 30-inches wide, and 17- to 19-inches deep as well as clear floor 

space of at least 30-inches by 48-inches. Free-standing or built-in units shall have 

a clear floo r space of at least 3 0-inche s by 48-inc hes. (see 4.2.4). 

C- 3

Appendix C: ADA Standards 

4.16 Water Close ts 

- The h eight of wa ter closets shall be 17 - to 19-inch es to the to p of the toilet s eat. 

- Grab bars behind the water closet shall be at least 36-inches long. 

- Flush controls shall be mounted on the wide side of the toilet areas and no m ore 

than 44-inches a bove the floor. (see also 4.27.4) 

- Toilet paper dispensers shall be mounted within reach and provide for a continuous 

paper flow. 

4.17 Toilet S talls 

- Standard toilet s talls with a m inim um depth of 5 6-inc hes shall have wall-mounted 

water closets. If the depth is increased at least 3-inches, then a floor-mounted water 

closet ma y be us ed. In instances of alteration work where the provisions of a 

standard stall is technically infeasible, alternate stalls may be provided. 

- Toilet stall doors shall comply with the accessibility requirements of 4.13. 

- The s ide grab b ar shall be at least 40-inches in length for standard toilet stalls, and 

mounted no m ore th an 12 -inch es from the back wall. T he re ar gra b bar shall be at 

least 36-inches in length and mou nted no more than 6-inches from the side w all. 

(see also 4.26) 

4.18 Urinals 

- The rim of a urinal shall be no more than 17-inches from the floor and clear floor 

space of 30-inches by 48-inches is necessary in front of the urinal to allow a forward 

approa ch. (see also 4.2.6) 

- The flush controls are to be m ounted no m ore than 44-inches above the floor. (see 

also 4.27.4) 

4.19 Lavato ries and M irrors 

- Lava tories (sink s) sh all be mounted with the rim no higher than 34-inches above 

the floor and a clearance of at least 29-inches above the floor to the bottom of the 

apron. The clear floor space in front of the lavatory shall by 30-inches by 48-inches. 

(see also 4.2.4) 

- Hot w ater a nd dr ain pip es un der la vatories sh all be in sulated or otherwise 

configu red to pro tect again st conta ct. 

-Lever-operated, push -type, and e lectro nically controlled mechanisms are examples 

of acce ptable de signs fo r faucets . (see also 4.27.4) 

- Mirrors shall be mounted with the bottom edge of the mirror no higher than 40-

inches from the floor. 

4.22 Restrooms 

- Doors shall not sw ing into the c lear floor sp ace req uired for a ny fixture. (see also 

4.13) 

- Accessible fixtures and controls shall be on an accessible route. 

- Water closets s hall com ply with the accessibility requ irem ents of 4.1 7, urin als sh all 

com ply with 4.18, la vatories an d m irrors shall comply with 4.19, and controls, 

dispensers, receptacles or the equipment provided shall comply with 4.27. 

4.26 Hand rails and G rab Bars 

- All han drails and g rab b ars a re req uired to comply with 4.1, 4.8, 4.9, 4.16, 4.17, 

4.20, or 4.21. 

- The width of handrails or grab bars shall b e 11⁄4 - to 1 1⁄2 -inch es, or the s hape sha ll 

provide an equivalent gripping surface. The space between the grab b ar an d the wall 

shall be 1 1⁄2-inches and able to withstand the application of 250 pounds of stress. 

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Appendix C: ADA Standards 

- Grab bars shall not rotate within their fittings. 

4.27 Controls and Operating Mechanisms 

- Clear floor space that allows a forward or parallel approach by a person using a 

wheelchair shall be provided at controls, dispensers, receptacles, and other operable 

equipm ent. (see also 4.2.4) 

- The highest operable part of controls, dispensers, receptacles, and other oper able 

equipm ent sha ll be placed within reac h range . (see also 4.2.5 and 4.2.6) 

- Controls and operating mechanisms shall be operable with one hand and not 

require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. The force required to 

activate controls shall be no more than 5 pounds. 

4.28 Alarms 

- If provided, audible emergency alarms shall produce a sound that exceeds the 

prevailing sound level in a room or space. 

- Visual alarm signals, such as a xenon strobe, should be integrated into the building 

or facility alarm system. Generally, no room or spac e sha ll be more than 50 feet 

from the s ignal. In large rooms or spaces exceeding 100 feet across, devices may 

be placed a maximum of 100 feet apart. Visual alarms in common corridors or 

hallways sh all be no m ore than 50 feet ap art. 

4.30 Signage 

- Lette rs an d num bers on sig ns shall have a width-to-height ratio between 3:5 and 

1:1 and a stro ke-width -to-heigh t ratio betwe en 1:5 an d 1:10. Character and number 

height shall be a minimum of 3-inches for signs mounted above 80-inches. 

- Letters and numerals signs shall be upper case, tactile, and Braille. The characters 

and back grou nd of signs shall be eggshell, matte, or other non-glare finish. 

Characters and symbols sha ll contrast with their background -- either light characters 

on a dark background or dark characters on a light background. 

- Where permanent identification is provided for rooms and spaces, signs shall be 

installed on the wa ll adjacent to the latch side of the door and shall be mounted 60-

inches above th e floor to the centerline of the sign. The mounting location of signs 

shall be so that a pers on m ay app roac h with in 3-in ches of signage without 

encountering protruding objects or standing within the swing of a door. 

- Facilities and elements required to be identified as accessible, as well as volume 

control telephon es, text telephones, and assistive listening systems, shall use the 

appropriate s ymb ols of access ibility. 

4.31 Telephones 

- Clear floor space of at least 30-inches by 48-inches that allows either a forward or 

parallel approach by a person using a wheelchair shall be provided at telephones. 

- The highest operable part of the telephone shall be within reach range. ( see 4.2.5 

or 4.2.6) 

- Telephones shall be hearing aid compatible and have volume controls. 

- The cord from the telephone to the handset shall be at least 29-inches long. 

- Text telephones used with a pay telephone shall be permanently affixed within, or 

adjacent to, the telephone enclosure. Pay telephones designed to accommodate a 

porta ble text telephone shall be equipped with a shelf and electrical outlet within, or 

adjacent to, the telephone enclosure. Equivalent facilitation may be provided. 

4.32 Fixed or Built-in Seating and Tables 

- If seating for ind ividuals with wheelchairs is provided at fixed tables or counters, 

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Appendix C: ADA Standards 

there shall be sufficient clear floor space of at least 30-inches by 48-inches and knee 

space of at least 2 7-inche s. (see 4.2.4) 

4.33 Assembly Areas 

- Wheelchair areas shall be an integral part of any fixed seating plan and at least one 

companion fixed seat shall be provided next to each wheelchair. When the seating 

capac ity exceeds 300, wheelchair spaces shall be provided in more than one 

location. 

- Assistive listening systems augment standard public address and audio systems 

by providing signals which can be received directly by persons with special receivers 

or their own h earing aid s. Magnetic induction loops, infra-red, and radio frequency 

systems are types of listening systems which are appropriate for vario us 

applications. 

5 Restaurants and Cafeterias 

- All accessible fixed tables shall be accessible by means of an access aisle at least 

36-inches wide. 

- Food service lines shall have a minimum clear width of 36 -inch es. T ray slid es shall 

be moun ted no higher than 34-inches above the floor. For self-service shelves, at 

least 50 p ercent o f each item mus t be within rea ch rang e. (see 4.2.5 and 4.2.6) 

- Disp ens ing de vices for tableware, d ishes, co ndim ents , food , and beve rage s shall 

be within re ach ran ge. (see 4.2.5 and 4.2.6) 

- Vending mac hine equ ipme nt shall com ply with reach ranges and shall be located 

on an ac cessib le route. (see 4.2) 

7 Sales and Service C ounters 

- Where counters have cash registers or are provided for sales or distribution of 

goods and services to the public, at least one portion of the counter shall be 36-

inches in length with a maximum height of 36-inches from the floor. This shall be on 

an accessible route. 

8 Libraries 

- The public areas of a library shall comply with 4.1 to 4.35. 

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Appendix D: Disability Rights 

Organizations Providing Comments 

Disability Rights Organizations 

Providing Comments 

1) American Council of the Blind 

2) National Association of Protection & Advocacy Systems 

3) National Council on Disability 

4) New England Chapter, Paralyzed Veterans of America 

5) Paralyzed Veterans Association of Florida, Inc. 

6) Puerto Rico Chapter, Paralyzed Veterans of America 

7) Wisconsin Paralyzed Veterans of America 

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