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

FY 2005 Annual Report 

 

March 2006

 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 

Chair 

DAVID L. BIBB 

General Services Administration 

Public Members Federal Members 

DOUGLAS ANDERSON

Wheaton, Illinois 

PAMELA DORWARTH

Sarasota, Florida 

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

Union, New Jersey 

BRUCE S. GROWICK, PH.D. 

Columbus, Ohio 

JAMES R. HARDING, II Ed.D. 

Tallahassee, Florida 

TRICIA MASON

Cheyenne, Wyoming 

PHILIP G. PEARCE

College Station, Texas 

DENIS PRATT, AIA 

Kennebunk, Maine 

DANIEL O. RIOS, P.E.

McAllen, Texas 

GARY LEONARD TALBOT

Auburndale, Florida 

GWENDOLYN TRUJILLO

Cincinnati, Ohio 

JAN TUCK

Marina del Rey, California 

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

Alexandria, Virginia 

OTTO J. WOLFF

Department of Commerce 

DAVID S. C. CHU

Department of Defense 

JOHN H. HAGER

Department of Education 

PAULA STANNARD

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 

JEFFREY N. SHANE

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 5 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. The Board maintains design criteria covering access to 

the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications, and electronic and information 

technology under several different laws, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA). Other Board services include technical assistance and training on its accessibility 

guidelines and standards and enforcement of design standards covering federally funded 

facilities. The Board also promotes accessibility through targeted outreach, dissemination of 

information, and sponsored research. 

ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

A key program goal of the Board is to serve as a leading source of information on accessible 

design. The Board has assumed a leadership role in this area through its work developing and 

keeping up to date design criteria for accessible buildings, vehicles, and communication and 

information technologies. In recent years, the Board has focused on efforts to address new 

areas where access has been problematic or not covered elsewhere, such as accessible 

sidewalks and intersections and passenger vessels. In 2005, the Board made significant 

progress on these fronts. In addition, the Board helped shape guidelines for voting systems 

adopted by the Election Assistance Commission. 

Being a leading source of information also involves coordination and consultation with peer 

organizations and key counterparts. Such initiatives are important on both a national and 

international scale, particularly in the global sphere of information technology. The Board has 

become increasingly active in coordinating its work with other codes and standard-setting 

organizations both in the U.S. and abroad. Last year was no exception. The Board advanced 

greater coordination among building code organizations both domestically and with other 

nations, particularly Canada and Mexico. 

Public Streets and Sidewalks 

Sidewalks, street crossings, and other elements of the 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 2005, the Board prepared 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. The completed draft will enable the Board to 

proceed with an assessment of cost impacts, which must be completed before the guidelines 

can be officially proposed for public comment. 

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Passenger Vessels 

The ADA ensures access for people with disabilities to public transportation as well as to transit 

services provided by private entities. The standards currently used to enforce the ADA’s 

transportation provisions cover access to buses, vans, rail cars, and other vehicle types but do 

not address passenger vessels. To fill this gap, the Board is developing new guidelines that will 

provide specific criteria for different types of vessels. Last year, the Board released information, 

including draft guidelines, for public review and comment. The material was available for 

comment for a period of eight months. During the comment period, the Board held two public 

hearings in Washington, D.C. and a third in Los Angeles. Representatives from a variety of 

interested organizations provided feedback at these hearings and submitted comments, 

including trade associations, cruise line and charter boat operators, naval architects and marine 

engineers, accessible travel and hospitality services, and persons with disabilities. The Board 

proceeded to consider revisions to the draft guidelines based on this input. 

Voting Systems 

The Board, along with other agencies, helped shape new guidelines for voting systems adopted 

by the Election Assistance Commission last December. Issued under the Help America Vote 

Act of 2002, the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines cover usability, including accessibility for 

people with disabilities, security, and privacy. States can follow them on a voluntary basis to 

ensure that voting systems function accurately and reliably. An advisory body drafted the 

guidelines for the Commission. This group included representation from various entities with 

technical and scientific expertise on voting systems and relevant aspects, such as accessibility. 

The Access Board was represented on this panel by Board members J.R. Harding, Ed.D. and 

James Elekes, M.Ed, MPA/CPM. Through their seats on the guidelines committee, as well as 

the Commission’s Board of Advisors, Elekes and Harding provided input on the scope of the 

guidelines and the testing of voting system access. 

Code Coordination 

The Board participated in new committees created by the International Code Council (ICC) and 

the National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA) that are exploring access issues relating to 

building design and life safety. These committees provide a forum for further coordinating ICC 

and NFPA codes and standards with the Board’s facility guidelines. The ICC’s Code 

Technology Committee is charged with identifying and addressing conflicts among ICC Codes 

and Standards. Specific areas of investigation include fire protection, use of elevators in 

emergencies, assisted living facilities, and further harmonization of the International Building 

Code (IBC) with the Board’s ADA guidelines. The NFPA’s ADA Advisory Committee is 

identifying emerging issues and existing needs among people with disabilities and will develop 

recommendations on how NFPA can be responsive to them. 

International Coordination 

In July, the Board hosted a meeting of representatives from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to 

discuss access issues in the built environment, share information, and learn more about each 

country’s accessibility codes and standards. The meeting and exchange of information 

provided an initial step in a process to improve coordination among North American countries 

on accessible design and solutions to access issues. Held in Washington, D.C., the event 

featured presentations by officials from codes and standards organizations in each country and 

a discussion session. There were also presentations made on international standards, research 

on space requirements for powered mobility devices, and the results of studies on evacuation of 

people with disabilities from the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack of September 11th. 

Members from each country supported further efforts to coordinate their work on access codes 

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and standards and to develop a cooperative network in order to improve accessibility in all three 

nations. The event helped lay the groundwork for stronger avenues of communication and 

greater coordination not only on design standards, but also on technological advances and 

research outcomes. 

EVENTS AND INITIATIVES

The Board’s interest in public feedback is not limited to its work developing guidelines and 

standards. Last year, the Board undertook several initiatives to draw input from customers and 

interested stakeholders in other venues. These include organization of a new advisory 

committee on courthouse accessibility, a public forum the Board held on its agenda and 

services, and a new outreach initiative on education. 

Courthouse Access Advisory 

Committee 

Accessibility Equipment Manufacturers 

 Association 

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts 

American Institute of Architects 

American Bar Association 

Arizona State Bar Association 

California Administrative Office of the Courts 

Conference of State Court Administrators 

Cook County (IL) Government 

David Calvert, PA 

Disabilities Law Project 

District of Columbia Courts 

HDR Architecture, Inc. 

Hearing Loss Association of America 

Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, Inc. 

International Code Council 

Lift-U Division, Hogan Manufacturing 

Michael Graves & Associates 

Michigan Commission for the Blind 

Montana Advocacy Program 

National Association for Court Management 

National Center for State Courts 

National Fire Protection Association 

New Hampshire Governor’s Commission on 

 Disability 

Ninth Circuit for the U.S. Courts 

Paralyzed Veterans of America 

PSA-Dewberry, Inc. 

Steven Winter Associates, Inc. 

Superior Court of the District of Columbia 

T.L. Shield & Associates 

Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida 

U.S. Department of Justice 

U.S. General Services Administration 

U.S. Judicial Conference, Securities & 

 Facilities Committee 

United Spinal Association 

Western Law Center for Disability Rights 

Courthouse Access Advisory Committee 

As part of an on-going effort to improve outreach to 

various audiences, the Board has implemented a plan 

to undertake activities that highlight accessibility within 

a particular sphere or focus area. The goal of this 

program is to increase the visibility of different facets of 

accessibility in a manner that supplements the Board’s 

technical assistance and training programs, builds 

partnerships with other entities, improves compliance 

with access requirements, and showcases best 

practices for accessible design. The first such effort 

under this plan focuses on access to courthouses. 

Such access has been problematic even in the design 

of new facilities due to questions concerning the best 

way to provide access to various elevated courtroom 

spaces, including witness stands, jury boxes, and 

judges’ benches. The Board has received many 

requests for guidance on how access can best be 

achieved while meeting traditional design features. 

To explore these and other design issues and to 

develop best practice recommendations, the Board 

chartered the Courthouse Access Advisory Committee 

in October 2004. The committee’s 35 members 

include designers and architects, disability groups, 

members of the judiciary, court administrators, 

representatives of the codes community and standardsetting entities, government agencies, and others with 

an interest in the issues to be explored. The 

committee held four quarterly meetings over the course 

of the year that took place in Washington, D.C., 

Phoenix, and Chicago. As part of its meetings, the 

committee toured area courthouse facilities operated 

by local governments, states, and the Federal 

government. The Committee is scheduled to complete 

its work in the fall of 2006. 

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Public Forum 

As part of a series of events celebrating the 15th

anniversary of the ADA on July 26th, the Board held 

a public forum on its work and goals under the 

ADA. The event allowed the public to make 

recommendations to the Board on topics or issues 

that should be addressed in its work writing 

guidelines and standards or sponsoring research. 

The Board also welcomed suggestions for new 

guidance and training materials and how this 

information and related services can be delivered 

most effectively to its various audiences. 

The feedback received at this forum, which 

attracted a wide audience, touched on a variety of 

topics, including information technology, indoor environmental quality, communication access, 

mobility access, and guidance materials, among others. Attendees urged the Board to assume 

an active role in coordinating its work on accessible electronic and information technology with 

international organizations, such as the European Union, in order to advance global 

harmonization and standardization. In addition, it was recommended that the Board address 

new or convergent types of technologies through its section 508 standards. 

Board members listen to comments from the 

public at a forum held on the ADA’s anniversary. 

Participants also urged the Board to undertake actions to help improve the quality of indoor 

environments for people who have multiple chemical sensitivities, address various 

communication access issues for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and consider 

recommendations for improving access for people with vision impairments. The Board also 

received feedback on other topics and specific suggestions for guidance materials, research 

projects, training, outreach, and web-based services. 

Promoting Education on Accessible Design 

In recognizing the critical role education plays in ensuring access to the built environment, the 

Board introduced an initiative to promote accessible design in the education of architects, 

interior designers, engineers and others. As a first step in this endeavor, the Board held a 

forum to get advice from various experts on how this effort can be advanced through education 

curricula, design competitions and awards, and outreach to colleges and accrediting 

organizations. 

Participants included representatives from university programs, accrediting organizations, trade 

associations, professional societies, and disability groups. The participants provided guidance 

and suggestions on how this initiative can be undertaken most effectively and strategically. 

Many recommendations centered on how training on accessible design could be made an 

integral part of the education curricula. Input was received on various considerations involved in 

advancing this goal and suggestions were made on the shape and substance of courses and 

training materials. For example, the Board was cautioned against relying on a “one size fits all” 

approach since design programs among accredited schools vary widely. It was also 

recommended that the Board not focus solely on students in light of the continuing education 

requirements and practices among design professions. The discussion also touched on various 

venues for providing education and training on accessible design, training materials and 

potential partnerships, the effectiveness of design competitions and outreach efforts to schools, 

accrediting bodies, and professional and student societies. 

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TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND GUIDANCE 

Through training, technical assistance, and guidance materials, the Board promotes 

accessibility by helping people understand what access means and how it can be achieved. In 

any given year, these programs play a critical role in fulfilling the Board’s mission. 

Training 

The Board routinely provides training on its guidelines and standards at various events across 

the country. Often, these sessions are part of larger programs organized by different groups 

and associations. Training events are tailored to the particular interests and information needs 

of each audience. Most training centered on the Board’s facility guidelines and its standards for 

electronic and information technology. It conducted more than 100 sessions over the course of 

the year, reaching a total of over 9,100 people through its training program. 

In 2005, the Board’s training program focused on the updated facility guidelines the Board 

published the previous year. This training featured a full-day session on new provisions in the 

guidelines, which are being used to update the standards used to enforce the ADA and ABA. 

The Board’s training sessions offered a detailed preview that allowed participants to get a 

handle on the new requirements before they take effect as standards. The Board partnered 

with various agencies to provide this training, including the U.S. Postal Service, which adopted 

new standards for postal facilities in April. Board staff trained Postal Service designers and 

facility personnel at eight regional centers across the country. 

Technical Assistance 

The Board provides technical assistance on accessible design through its toll-free telephone 

line, as well by fax and e-mail. Guidance is available on the design of facilities, transit vehicles, 

telecommunications, and electronic and information technology. Most inquiries concerned the 

Board’s facility guidelines and came from architects, code officials, and other members of the 

building profession. The Board responded to more than 12,200 technical inquiries last year. 

Publications and On-Line Guidance 

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 

guidance materials, such as technical bulletins, design guides, and manuals. More than 30 

publications are available. Materials are provided free upon request and are posted on the 

Board’s website at www.access-board.gov. 

Websites are now the “front door” for the vast 

majority of an agency’s customers. The quality of 

information and service an agency provides is 

demonstrated through its site. Over the years, the 

Board has continuously enhanced and improved its 

on-line information and services. Its website has 

become the primary channel for disseminating 

information and providing services to its varied 

audiences. Traffic to the site continues to grow 

significantly. Over the course of the year, the site 

logged over 2.2 million visitor sessions and 32.2 

million hits. 

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In June, the Board unveiled a completely redesigned site which features a new look and 

organization, improved navigational and search features, and additional on-line services. 

Visitors can now order Board publications through the site in addition to signing up for the 

Board’s newsletter or filing a complaint under the Architectural Barriers Act. The site’s 

revamped design provides a portal page or “mini-homepage” for each of the Board’s guidelines 

and standards, including those under development, which contain links to all relevant materials 

and related resources for easier one-stop shopping. 

On a regular basis, the Board develops guidance material on accessible design that 

supplements its guidelines and standards. Increasingly, these resources are being generated 

specifically for the Board’s website. For example, the Board has developed a series of 

interactive web-based tutorials on the section 508 standards for electronic and information 

technology. Last year, the Board completed the final installment of this series with the release 

of a course on telecommunications products. Other tutorials in the series cover software, 

computers, and self contained, closed products, such as information kiosks and fax machines. 

ENFORCEMENT

The Board was created to develop and enforce design requirements for facilities covered by the 

Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968, a responsibility it keeps to this day. The ABA requires 

access to facilities designed, built, or altered with Federal dollars. The law covers a wide range 

of facilities, including post offices, Social Security offices, and national parks. It also applies to 

non-government facilities that have received Federal funding, such as certain schools, public 

housing, and mass transit systems. 

The Board enforces the ABA through the investigation of 

complaints it receives concerning particular facilities. It 

opened 90 investigations in 2005, in addition to 86 cases 

that were active at the beginning of the fiscal year. Some of 

these complaints concerned post offices, courthouses and 

town halls, schools, and office buildings, among others. 

Over the course of the year, the Board completed 69 

investigations. Corrective action was achieved in almost half 

of the cases (32). In the remaining cases, it was found that 

the Board lacked jurisdiction (26) or that the access issue d

not constitute a violation of the applicable standard (11). 

 No 

 Violation 

 16% 

 Corrective 

 Action 

 No 46% 

 Violation 

 38% 

 Cases Closed in FY 2005

id 

RESEARCH

Specifying accessibility is both an art and a science. The science involved centers on research 

to collect data that is needed in developing or assessing guidelines, exploring solutions to 

compliance problems, and generating supplementary guidance material. The Board sponsors 

and promotes research on various subjects each year pertaining to architecture, 

communications, or transportation. Many projects are undertaken in partnership with other 

organizations. In 2005, the Board completed projects on indoor air quality, wheeled mobility, 

vessel access, and pedestrian safety. It also helped promote the development of access 

devices for amusement rides in partnership with a leading trade organization. Throughout the 

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year, progress was made on a variety of other on-going projects, including a study on 

accessible play surfacing and an examination of construction tolerance practices. 

Indoor Environmental Quality 

A growing number of people suffer a range of debilitating physical reactions from exposures to 

everyday materials and chemicals found in building products, floor coverings, cleaning products, 

and fragrances, among others. There are those who have developed an acute sensitivity to 

various types of chemicals, a condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). In 

response to these concerns, the Board sponsored a study on ways to improve indoor 

environmental quality for people with MCS as well as for the population generally. Conducted 

for the Board by the National Institute of Building Sciences, this project brought together various 

stakeholders to explore issues and to develop an action plan. The project report, issued in July, 

includes recommendations on improving indoor environmental quality. 

Wheeled Mobility 

In August, a report was released on a study the Board commissioned on wheeled mobility and 

human measures. This report, Standards and Anthropometry for Wheeled Mobility, was 

prepared by the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access which is undertaking a 

major multi-year project to collect human measures data on people who use wheeled mobility 

aids. Started in 1999, this work will continue at least through 2006. Drawing upon information 

collected and developed in completed phases of the project, the report reviews research 

conducted in other countries and its influence on their access standards. The comparative 

analysis provides a framework for the future comparison of research findings and standards and 

offers a foundation for improving the utilization of research for standards development. 

Vessel Doors with Coamings 

Conducted for the Board by the U.S. Department of Transportation, this project explored ways 

to provide access at vessels doors with coamings or sills, which are used to prevent water 

infiltration. The results provide information on solutions to this issue which will supplement the 

Board’s work in developing new guidelines for passenger vessels. The study results provide 

data that can be useful to vessel designers, operators, and inspectors in improving access 

without compromising weather-tight doors. 

Pedestrian Safety 

The Board and the Federal Highway Administration sponsored a project on pedestrian 

channeling devices that will help guide pedestrians with vision impairments through work zones 

that encroach on sidewalks and crosswalks. In February, both agencies, along with the 

American Traffic Safety Services Association, held a day-long evaluation of 19 different 

products, ranging from the traditional, such as barricades, to the more hi-tech, such as auditory 

devices. The event enabled manufacturers to demonstrate their products and allowed 

individuals with disabilities to try them out in a controlled setting and to provide feedback. 

Amusement Ride Transfer Device Design Competition 

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), in partnership with 

the Board, organized a competition for the design of a transfer device for access to amusement 

rides. The goal of the design competition was to inspire creative solutions for a device that 

could serve rides with seats below platform level. Entries from engineering and accessibility 

design professionals and college students were received. A panel organized by IAAPA and the 

Board reviewed the designs and selected the top three designs. The three winning design 

teams, each from the University of Kansas School of Mechanical Engineering, received 

monetary awards. A model of the winning design was showcased at IAAPA’s annual expo. 

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