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

 FY 2006 

 Annual Report

 

 

 January 2007

 A FED E RAL 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 

Chair 

DAVID L. BIBB 

General Services Administration 

Public Members Federal Members 

DOUGLAS ANDERSON

Wheaton, Illinois 

JOSEPH A. CIRILLO, R.A. 

Middletown, Rhode Island 

PAMELA DORWARTH

Sarasota, Florida 

JAMES J. ELEKES, M.Ed, MPA/CPM 

Surfside Beach, South Carolina 

TRICIA MASON

Arlington, Virginia 

PHILIP G. PEARCE

College Station, Texas 

DENIS PRATT, AIA 

Kennebunk, Maine 

DANIEL O. RIOS, P.E.

McAllen, Texas 

ELIZABETH A. STEWART

Winter Haven, Florida 

GARY LEONARD TALBOT

Auburndale, Florida 

GWENDOLYN TRUJILLO

Cincinnati, Ohio 

JOHN O. WOODS, JR., P.E.

Alexandria, Virginia 

JOHN C. WYVILL

Little Rock, Arkansas 

OTTO J. WOLFF

Department of Commerce 

MICHAEL L. DOMINGUEZ

Department of Defense 

JOHN H. HAGER

Department of Education 

ALEX M. AZAR, II

Department of Health and 

Human Services 

KIM KENDRICK

Department of Housing and 

Urban Development 

R. THOMAS WEIMER

Department of Interior 

WAN J. KIM 

Department of Justice 

W. ROY GRIZZARD, JR., Ed.D. 

Department of Labor 

TYLER D. DUVALL

Department of Transportation 

R. ALLEN PITTMAN

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
F Y 2 0 0 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T 

The U.S. Access Board is an independent Federal agency committed to design that is 

accessible to persons with disabilities. Under several different laws, including the landmark 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Access Board develops and maintains guidelines and 

standards to ensure access to facilities, public transportation, telecommunications, and 

electronic and information technology. In addition, the Board provides technical assistance and 

training on accessible design, enforces standards for federally funded facilities, and promotes 

accessibility through outreach, dissemination of information, and research. 

ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

Through its work developing guidelines and standards, the Access Board serves as a leading 

source of information on accessible design. The Board is pursuing a varied rulemaking agenda 

that includes the development of new guidelines and the update of existing ones. In 2006, the 

Board initiated efforts to update its design criteria for electronic and information technology, 

telecommunications products, and transportation vehicles. It also advanced work on new 

guidelines for passenger vessels and for public rights-of-way and explored the need for 

supplementary guidelines covering emergency transportable housing and communication 

access. 

Section 508 Standards and Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines 

Electronic and information technology procured by the Federal government is required to be 

accessible under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Under this law, the Board maintains 

access standards for the wide array of technologies covered, including computer hardware and 

software, websites, phone systems, fax machines, and copiers, among others. The everevolving nature of these technologies makes periodic review of the Section 508 standards 

essential. Last year, the Board implemented steps to update these standards through an 

advisory panel of interested stakeholders. As part of this effort, the Board’s guidelines for 

products covered by the Telecommunications Act will be updated as well. 

Advisory Committee Members 

The Telecommunications and Electronic and 

Information Technology Advisory Committee was 

organized by the Board to review the standards 

and guidelines and to recommend how they should 

be updated. The committee’s 42 members include 

representatives from industry, disability groups, 

standard-setting bodies in the U.S. and abroad, 

government agencies, and others. The Board 

structured the committee to represent a balanced 

cross section of interested parties and stakeholders 

and to help promote international coordination. 

1
The committee, which held its first meeting in September, will provide a forum for establishing 

consensus on updating the Section 508 standards and telecommunication guidelines. Topics 

the committee will explore include coverage of products and technologies, including new or 

convergent types, solutions to identified access barriers, the content of new or revised 

specifications and criteria, and their harmonization with comparable international efforts in this 

area. The Board will propose updated standards and guidelines for public comment based on 

the committee’s recommendations which are due in 2007. 

Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles 

The Board’s accessibility guidelines for transportation vehicles, 

address buses, vans, rail cars, and other modes of public 

transportation covered by the ADA. In 2006, the Board began a review 

of these guidelines, which were first published in 1991, and held 

meetings to solicit input from the public on issues to address in their 

update. These meetings, which took place in Washington, D.C. and 

Las Vegas, provided an opportunity for people with disabilities, vehicle 

manufacturers, transit providers and operators, and industry trade 

associations to highlight needed changes. For example, participants 

called attention to advances made in the design of mobility aids over 

the past 15 years, and urged the Board to revisit the specifications to 

accommodate the broader range of mobility aids now in use. It was 

also recommended that new transportation technologies, such as bus 

rapid transit, be addressed. The Board will publish any proposed 

revisions to the vehicle guidelines for public comment. 

The Board examined 

newer types of 

vehicles, such as 

double-decker buses, in 

Las Vegas. 

Guidelines for Passenger Vessels 

On a separate track, the Board is developing new guidelines for passenger vessels. These 

guidelines will provide specific criteria for different types of vessels, including cruise and gaming 

ships, ferries, and excursion boats, among others. Last year, the Board released a revised draft 

of these guidelines which incorporated input from the public on an earlier draft. This follow-up 

version provided another opportunity for public comment. During a four-month comment period, 

input was received from people with disabilities and disability groups, vessel operators and 

manufacturers, and industry trade associations, among others. The Board will further refine the 

guidelines based on this feedback. 

Public Rights-of-Way 

Sidewalks, street crossings, and other elements of public rights-of-ways present unique 

challenges to accessibility for which specific guidance is considered essential. The Board is 

developing new guidelines for public rights-of-way that will address various issues, including 

access for blind pedestrians at street crossings, accessible on-street parking, and constraints 

posed by space limitations and terrain, among others. In FY 2006, the Board released a revised 

set of draft guidelines developed with input from the public, including people with disabilities, 

civil engineers, public works departments, state highway divisions and transportation 

departments, and leading industry organizations. This information was made available to 

facilitate the preparation of an impact analysis which must be completed before the guidelines 

can be officially proposed and eventually finalized. 

2
Emergency Transportable Housing 

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 brought to light issues concerning access 

to emergency transportable housing used by the government in emergencies and natural 

disasters. In May, the Board convened a roundtable meeting that brought together industry 

representatives and trade groups, manufacturers, disability organizations, and government 

agencies to explore design issues and to determine how access can best be achieved. To 

further the dialogue and pin-point access concerns, the Board outlined potential design 

solutions for several different types of units based on existing access standards. Trade 

association representatives and manufacturers provided input on industry standards and design 

constraints that can influence how access is provided. The Board will use the information 

gained from this meeting to determine whether supplementary provisions to the Board’s facility 

guidelines, which cover residential facilities, are needed. 

Communication Access 

As recommended by its customers and stakeholders, the Board began exploring the need for 

supplementary guidelines on communication access to various types of elements, including 

kiosks, point of sales and other interactive transaction machines, drive-through communication 

devices, public address systems, signage, and alarms. In July, the Board held a public meeting 

on this initiative to solicit input on key issues and considerations that should be addressed. 

Attendees of the meeting, including representatives from disability groups, code organizations, 

research entities, and manufacturers, identified areas where access has been most challenging 

or where further information is needed. These included access for people with vision or hearing 

impairments to kiosks and point of sales machines, various types of alarms, including carbon 

monoxide detectors, acoustics, telephone volume control, drive-through communication 

devices, and public address systems. Some commenters highlighted the need for research in 

certain areas or called attention to new or emerging technologies for improved access, such as 

vibrating alarms, directional sound alarms, and audible or “talking” signs and wayfinding cues. 

 

OUTREACH

In an effort to reach out to various audiences and to promote greater access, the Board 

regularly undertakes activities that highlight focus areas and topics, particularly those where 

accessibility has been problematic. Last year, a Board advisory committee concluded work on 

an initiative to promote courthouse accessibility. In addition to this and other outreach activities, 

the Board held a town meeting in Las Vegas on accessibility and the work of the Board. 

Courthouse Accessibility 

Access to courthouses remains a problem, even in the design of new 

facilities, due to a lack of information and awareness. Design 

features essential to courthouses, particularly courtrooms, pose 

challenges to access that are not adequately addressed by existing 

resources. Through an advisory committee, the Board undertook an 

initiative to promote inclusiveness in the design of courthouses so 

that they are accessible to all users. The Courthouse Access 

Advisory Committee, which the Board organized in 2004, developed 

design recommendations and best practices that ensure access 

without compromising traditional features essential to courthouse 

design. The Committee’s 35 members included courthouse 

architects, disability groups, members of the judiciary, court 

 Committee’s Final Report 

3
administrators, representatives of the codes community and standard-setting entities, 

government agencies, and others with an interest in the issues to be explored. 

Over the course of its two-year charter, the Committee examined design issues in depth, toured 

different types of courthouses across the country, and crafted access solutions. The Committee 

also developed an outreach and education plan for the Board’s use in disseminating this new 

guidance and promoting greater awareness. The Committee completed its work last November 

and issued its final report, “Justice for All: Designing Accessible Courthouses.” The report 

provides design guidance and best practice recommendations for achieving access in 

courthouses, including courtrooms. To test the Committee’s recommendations, several fullscale mock-ups of Federal courtrooms were built and toured by Committee and Board 

members. 

Las Vegas Town Meeting 

Each year the Board holds one of its bi-monthly 

meetings in a location outside the Washington, D.C. 

area to discuss various aspects of accessibility and 

the work of the Board. These town meetings 

typically focus on topics that relate to the Board’s 

rulemaking agenda and allow members of the public 

to discuss issues of accessibility with Board 

members in an informal setting. They also provide an 

opportunity for the Board to visit sites and explore 

access issues in greater depth. Board members listen to comments from the 

 public at the town meeting. 

The Board held its 2006 town meeting in Las Vegas in September. The event focused on 

access issues of concern to the public and ways in which the Board’s various program areas, 

including rulemaking, technical assistance, and training, can be responsive to them. Citizens 

and representatives from various organizations called attention to issues concerning 

implementation and enforcement of the ADA’s design standards, plan reviews, and training for 

designers and architects. Participants also raised issues concerning access to trails, sidewalks 

and bus stops, polling places, courthouses, and communication. Accessibility for people who 

are deaf and those with vision impairments were highlighted as areas meriting greater attention. 

In addition to the town meeting, the Board held a forum on the update of its vehicle guidelines 

and explored new types of vehicles available in the area, including a bus rapid transit system, 

double-decker buses, and a monorail. 

SERVICES AND RESOURCES 

The Board provides an array of services to the public to promote compliance and ensure 

access, including training, technical assistance, and enforcement. In addition, it regularly 

develops and disseminates information and resources that provide useful tools in achieving 

accessible design. On a daily basis the Board provides guidance to people involved in 

architecture and design, disability policy and advocacy, information and communication 

technology, public transportation, housing, and other fields and disciplines. 

Training 

The Board routinely provides training on accessible design to various audiences at different 

conferences and events across the country. Training sessions are tailored to the particular 

4
interests and information needs of each audience. Most sessions are focused on the Board’s 

facility guidelines and its standards for electronic and information technology. Last year, the 

Board conducted 89 sessions through which it provided training to over 7,600 people. 

Comprehensive sessions on facility guidelines the Board updated in 2004 under the ADA and 

the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) remained a centerpiece of its training program. The ADA 

and ABA Accessibility Guidelines are being used to update standards maintained by other 

agencies to enforce these laws. The Board partnered with government agencies, including the 

General Services Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, to provide training on 

new ABA standards covering various types of Federal facilities. The Board offered a full-day 

program on the updated ADA and ABA guidelines and standards. 

The Board also partnered with organizations in the private sector to provide training targeted to 

particular audiences. In cooperation with National Recreation and Park Association, the Board 

developed a new training course on its guidelines for play areas. The three-hour course will be 

used to train park and recreation professionals, designers, landscape architects, manufacturers, 

operators, and others concerned with ensuring access to play areas. 

Technical Assistance 

In applying accessibility requirements to the real world, uncertainty can arise on the best way to 

achieve access or how a certain requirement should be interpreted. To address these and 

other questions, the Board provides technical assistance on its guidelines and standards and 

accessible design through a toll-free line as well as by email and fax. Guidance is provided on 

access requirements for facilities, vehicles, telecommunications, and electronic and information 

technology. Most inquiries concern facility access and come from architects, code officials, and 

other members of the building professions. The Board responded to over 13,000 technical 

inquiries last year. 

Enforcement 

The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) stands as the first law 

passed by Congress to ensure access to the built environment. 20% 

Passed in 1968, this law requires access to facilities built or 

renovated with federal money. It covers a wide range of 

government buildings, including post offices, social security 

offices, and Federal office buildings. It also applies to non-Federal 

 No 

Violation 

 Corrective 

 Action No 

 51% Jurisdiction 

 29% 

 Cases Closed in 2006

buildings that are federally funded, such as schools, transit 

stations, local courthouses and jails, and public housing. 

The Board was originally created to ensure compliance with the ABA, a responsibility it 

maintains to this day. Enforcement is achieved through the investigation of complaints from the 

public concerning facility access. In conducting an investigation, the Board first determines 

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

standards. If it does not, the Board will pursue a corrective action plan and monitor the case 

until all necessary work is completed. In 2006, the Board opened 86 new cases, in addition to 

107 complaints already under investigation. Over the course of the year, the Board completed 

70 investigations. Corrective action was achieved in over half of the cases (36). The remaining 

cases were closed due to either a lack of jurisdiction (20) or the absence of a violation (14). 

Publications and Resources 

The Board maintains a variety of publications and materials that cover different aspects of 

accessibility. This information includes copies of all of its guidelines and standards and related 

5
guidance materials, such as technical bulletins, design guides, and manuals. The Board sent 

out over 7,200 copies of its publications last year and further disseminated this information 

through its website which received almost 32 million hits and logged more than 2.6 million user 

sessions over the course of the year. 

The Board also developed new resources last year. To facilitate implementation of the updated 

ADA guidelines, the Board published a side-by-side comparison with the original version as well 

as with the International Building Code (IBC), a key counterpart code that is used by a growing 

number of states and local jurisdictions. 

In addition, the Board teamed up with ADA Technical 

Assistance Centers, a federally funded network, to 

develop a web-based resource on integrating access 

into the efforts to rebuild communities destroyed in the 

2005 hurricane season. The Rebuilding Accessible 

Communities initiative was conceived as an o

for community groups, advocates and the building industry to collectively reconstruct 

communities in a way to be accessible to all. A new website at www.adata.org/rac/index.aspx 

provides relevant resources and answers to common questions. Additional materials will be 

added to the site. 

pportunity 

Research 

Every year, the Board sponsors and promotes research on various subjects pertaining to 

architecture, communications, or transportation. Many projects are undertaken in partnership 

with other organizations. During the year, on-going projects advanced research on human 

measures and wheeled mobility aids, surfaces, accessible play areas and public rights-of-way. 

New research projects initiated in 2006 will focus on communication access in transportation 

systems, outdoor wayfinding cues for pedestrians with vision impairments, audible pedestrian 

signals, and indoor environmental quality. 

6