U N I T E D S T A T E S A C C E S S B O A R D

 

 

 

2009 Annual Report

 January 2010

 A FEDERAL AGENCY COMMITTED TO ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
U N I T E D S T A T E S A C C E S S B O A R D

 Public Members Federal Members

DOUGLAS ANDERSON

Wheaton, Illinois

JOHN GUNNAR BOX

Corona, California

JOSEPH A. CIRILLO, R.A.

Middletown, Rhode Island

RONALD J. GARDNER

Bountiful, Utah

EDWARD H. GEE 

Stone Mountain, Georgia

JAMES R. HARDING II, ED.D.

Tallahassee, Florida

PHILLIP D. JENKINS 

Austin, Texas

NEIL K. MELICK, CBO

West Palm Beach, Florida

NANCY STARNES 

Arlington, Virginia

ELIZABETH A. STEWART

Winter Haven, Florida

GARY LEONARD TALBOT

Foxboro, Massachusetts

HANS A. VAN WINKLE 

Lumberton, New Jersey

JOHN C. WYVILL

Lincoln, Nebraska

Assistant Secretary for Administration

Department of Commerce

Principal Deputy Under Secretary 

of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 

Department of Defense

ALEXA POSNY

Department of Education

Deputy Administrator 

General Services Administration

DAVID CADE

Department of Health and Human Services

JOHN TRASVIÑA

Department of Housing and Urban Development

RHEA S. SUH

Department of Interior

THOMAS E. PEREZ

Department of Justice

KATHLEEN MARTINEZ

Department of Labor

POLLY TROTTENBERG

Department of Transportation

GEORGIA COFFEY

Department of Veterans Affairs

TOM SAMRA

United States Postal Service

1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000 ■ Washington, DC 20004-1111 ■ www.access-board.gov

202 272-0080 (v) ■ 202 272-0082 (TTY) ■ 202 272-0081 (fax) ■ e-mail: info@access-board.gov
1

F Y 2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T

The U.S. Access Board is an independent Federal agency that promotes equality for people 

with disabilities through leadership in accessible design. The Board develops guidelines and 

standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other Federal laws that address 

access to the built environment, transportation, communication, and information technology. In 

addition, the Board enforces accessibility standards covering federally funded facilities and 

promotes accessibility through public outreach, technical assistance, training, published 

guidance, and research.

GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

Establishing design criteria and keeping them up to date constitute key Board activities. The 

Board’s guidelines and standards cover access to facilities, vehicles, electronic and information 

technology, and telecommunications equipment. The Board maintains an active and varied 

rulemaking agenda. In 2009, the Board advanced development of new guidelines for outdoor 

environments, public rights-of-way, passenger vessels, and emergency transportable housing. 

It also made progress on updates to its accessibility criteria for information and communication 

technologies and guidelines for transportation vehicles.

Outdoor Developed Areas

Achieving accessibility in outdoor environments has long been a source of confusion due to 

challenges and constraints posed by terrain, the degree of development, construction practices 

and materials, and other factors. Guidelines the Board is developing for outdoor sites will 

provide needed guidance on achieving access to trails, picnic and camping areas, and beach 

routes. The Board proceeded to finalize guidelines specific to sites managed by the Federal 

government, including national parks and recreation areas, based on public comments it 

received on a proposed version. At the end of the fiscal year, the Board released a draft of the 

final version to provide interested parties and the public an additional opportunity for comment. 

The Board plans to issue final guidelines in 2010 and will proceed with similar rulemaking for 

non-Federal sites. 

Public Rights-of-Way

The Board’s guidelines for public rights-of-way will cover access to sidewalks and streets, 

including street crossings, access for pedestrians with vision impairments, on-street parking, 

and constraints posed by terrain and space limitations, among other topics. The Board 

previously released drafts of the guidelines for public input but must follow up with an official 

proposal and comment period before the guidelines can be finalized. In addition to the 

feedback received on earlier drafts, the upcoming proposal will incorporate information gained 

through close coordination with counterpart agencies and research on rights-of-way issues 

sponsored by the Board. The proposed guidelines also will be responsive to issues further 

identified through the Board’s extensive outreach and training program on rights-of-way 

accessibility. 
2

Emergency Transportable Housing

The Board is supplementing its facility guidelines issued under the ADA and the Architectural 

Barriers Act (ABA) to specifically address temporary emergency housing made available by the 

government in response to natural disasters and emergencies. Access to such housing proved 

problematic in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Early in the fiscal year, an advisory 

committee organized by the Board submitted its recommendations on this rulemaking. The 

Advisory Committee on Emergency Transportable Housing, which included representation from 

disability organizations, industry and code groups, and government agencies, reviewed the 

Board’s existing guidelines and assessed engineering and other constraints unique to this type 

of housing. The committee’s report details access to emergency transportable housing 

according to existing specifications for residential facilities. The Board proceeded to craft a 

proposal to update its ADA and ABA guidelines based on the committee’s recommendations 

that is due to be published for public comment in 2010.

Passenger Vessels

The Board is developing new guidelines, the first of their kind, addressing access to passenger 

vessels, including cruise ships, ferries, and excursion boats. The Board previously released 

drafts of the guidelines for public comment to collect additional information needed in this effort, 

including cost and impact data. Based on this input, the Board proceeded to examine remaining 

issues, including access to vessel alarm systems which it addressed through an advisory 

committee the previous year. The Board also undertook impact assessments and case studies to 

gather information that is needed before an official proposed set of guidelines can be released. 

Information and Communication Technologies

The Board also made progress on a joint refresh of its standards for electronic and information 

technologies issued under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and its guidelines for 

telecommunications products covered by Section 255 of the Communications Act. The Board 

advanced work on a proposal to update these requirements based on recommendations from 

the Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee, which 

the Board had organized to review the standards and guidelines and to recommend changes. 

This committee, which submitted its report to the Board in the spring of 2008, recommended 

specific updates to the standards and guidelines that are responsive to a host of issues, 

including coverage of new or convergent technologies, improved solutions to access barriers, 

and international harmonization. The Board plans to release a draft of its proposal for public 

comment in 2010. 

Transportation Vehicles

The Board’s ADA guidelines for transportation vehicles address access to buses, vans, rail cars, 

and other modes of public transportation. To further its update of these guidelines, which were 

originally published in 1991, the Board released draft revisions to specifications for buses and 

vans and made them available for public comment. This draft included changes and additions 

addressing level boarding access, stop announcement systems, boarding devices, wheelchair 

spaces, headrests, and accessible routes. The Board received feedback from trade 

associations, disability groups, consumers, transit operators and authorities, researchers, and 

vehicle manufacturers. Based on this input, the Board prepared an official proposal to update 

the guidelines that is due to be published in 2010. After finalizing updates to the requirements 

for buses and vans, the Board will proceed to update remaining sections of the guidelines

covering rail cars and other modes of public transportation.
3

OUTREACH

Each year the Board undertakes outreach initiatives to promote accessibility, raise awareness, 

and to engage the public on topics or issues of concern. In 2009, the Board undertook an 

initiative to promote accessibility in projects funded by the Recovery Act, held a town hall 

meeting in Boston, and conducted outreach as part of an effort to improve airport accessibility. 

Recovery Act Initiative

Shortly after the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” became law, the Board 

implemented an awareness campaign to promote accessibility in projects funded by the $787 

billion measure. The act funds a wide array of projects and programs to improve infrastructure, 

transportation, energy efficiency, education, and health care. To help ensure that accessibility 

is properly integrated into Recovery Act projects, the Board prepared and disseminated

information to alert funding agencies and recipients of their responsibilities under laws such as 

the ABA and the ADA. This effort focused on connecting people to applicable access standards 

and useful resources, including guidance from the Board on various topics such as building 

renovation, public improvement projects, information and communication technologies, and 

public transportation. The Board also provided training to Federal agencies responsible for 

Recovery Act projects. 

Boston Town Hall Meeting

Each year the Board holds a town hall meeting in a 

different city to hear from individuals on issues of 

concern and to update the public on its work. The 

Board’s 2009 annual town meeting took place in 

Boston in May. The day-long event featured open 

forums allowing members of the public to raise issues 

or questions of concern. It also included panel 

presentations on design education, museum exhibit 

design, and the work of the Massachusetts

Architectural Access Board. Issues raised by 

attendees included brick sidewalks and the problems 

they pose to people with mobility or vision impairments, classroom acoustics and the need for 

greater awareness and adoption of standards, access to medical and diagnostic equipment, 

point-of-sales machines and self-service kiosks, continuing barriers to access in public transit 

systems, and the need for research on the growing variety of mobility aids now in use. While in 

Boston, the Board visited WGBH’s National Center for Accessible Media, the Carroll Center for 

the Blind, and Acentech, Inc., an acoustical consulting firm. Board members also examined 

access features at the Massachusetts State House, the John Adams Courthouse, and the 

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s transit system.

Board Outreach Promotes Airport Accessibility

The Board also continued an outreach campaign initiated in 2008 on access to airports, a 

common source of complaints by travelers with disabilities. As part of this effort, the Board 

explored leading access issues to gather information for its use in raising awareness, promoting 

effective design, and improving compliance. The Board collected information and received 

briefings from invited experts on a range of topics, including self-service ticketing kiosks, 

security checkpoints and screening procedures, boarding bridges and devices, signage and 
4

communication systems, and telecommunications. The Board also met with airport designers 

and operators to share information on improving airport accessibility. 

SERVICES AND RESOURCES

In addition to its development of guidelines and standards, the Board promotes accessible 

design through education, published resources, and technical assistance to the public. These 

services play a critical role in assisting various professionals understand and apply accessibility 

design requirements. The Board also ensures access to federally funded buildings through the 

investigation of complaints. 

Training

On a regular basis, the Board travels across the country to provide training on accessible design 

and its guidelines and standards at different events and conferences. Most training pertains to 

design criteria for facilities, transportation vehicles, and information technology. Training 

sessions, which are targeted to the needs and interests of each audience, attract designers and 

architects, code officials, advocacy groups, transportation operators, the information technology 

industry, and other professionals in assorted fields. In FY 2009, the Board conducted 86 

sessions and provided training to approximately 7,000 people.

Webinars

To supplement its training program, the Board instituted a program 

of monthly webinars in cooperation with the national network of 

regional ADA Centers. The series, to be conducted throughout FY 

2010, will cover a variety of topics on accessibility pertaining to the 

built environment, information and communication technologies, and 

transportation. Scheduled sessions will review Board guidelines 

and standards, including the updated ADA and ABA Accessibility 

Guidelines, as well as Board rulemaking efforts, such as the refresh 

of its Section 508 standards. In addition, some webinars will be 

devoted to subjects where guidance is often requested, such as toilet and bathing facilities, and 

to topics of interest, including guidance on achieving accessibility in projects funded by the 

“Recovery Act.” 

Technical Assistance

The Board provides technical assistance to provide guidance and to answer questions that arise 

in following accessibility guidelines and standards. Many inquiries concern how a specific 

requirement can best be met in a certain situation or seek clarification on what a particular 

provision means. Every day the Board provides technical assistance on its accessibility criteria 

and accessible design through its toll-free line as well as by email and fax. Whether it’s a 

question about a construction or alteration project, vehicle design, or information and 

communication technology, people can turn to the Board for answers. This individualized 

guidance improves compliance and helps ensure that access is achieved properly. The Board 

responded to over 13,600 technical inquiries in FY 2009.

Resources

A variety of publications and guidance materials on accessibility is produced and distributed by 

the Board. In addition to copies of Board guidelines and standards, this information includes 

user-friendly companion guides, technical bulletins, manuals, and online courses. New 

materials are developed on a regular basis, many of which focus on clarifying recent guidelines 

or providing guidance in areas where guidelines are pending. For example, last year the Board
5

issued a new guide on installing accessible pedestrian signals, a topic that will be addressed in 

its rulemaking on public rights-of-way. 

Enforcement

Facilities built or altered with Federal dollars must be accessible under the ABA, the first 

national law on the books guaranteeing access to the built environment. The ABA covers a 

wide range of government buildings, including post offices, social security offices, and Federal 

office buildings. It also applies to non-Federal buildings that are federally funded, such as 

schools, transit stations, local courthouses and jails, and public housing. The Board enforces 

the law through the investigation of complaints. The first step in an investigation is to determine 

whether the facility is covered by the ABA and, if so, whether it meets the applicable design 

standards. If a covered facility is not in compliance, the Board will pursue a corrective action 

plan and monitor the case until all necessary work is completed. In 2009, the Board advanced 

148 investigations and closed 40 cases. Barriers were successfully remedied in all cases where 

the law applied, and in some cases voluntarily where it did not. 

Research

The Board sponsors research to support its development of guidelines and guidance material and

to promote accessible design. Each year, the Board initiates a variety of projects, often in 

partnership with other organizations. Most projects focus on the study of accessibility in relation 

to architecture and design, human factors, communication, and transportation. In FY 2009, the 

Board completed a study that provides guidance on accessible pedestrian signals and advanced 

research on human measures and wheeled mobility aids, the effects of slope and other surface

characteristics on wheelchair travel, accessible museum exhibit design, play area and trail

surfaces, and wheelchair transfer.