Companion Guide to Video August 2012

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

Civil Rights

Americans with Disabilities Act

Self-Evaluation Basics

People that do not have disabilities often take for 

granted the ability to fully participate in all 

aspects of their civic lives. However, for 

individuals with disabilities to exercise their 

rights to participate civically, socially and 

personally in their respective communities, many 

times steps must be taken to eliminate barriers 

that interfere with access. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 

commonly referred to as section 504, and the 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or ADA, 

were enacted to ensure that individuals with 

disabilities have access to their community's 

programs, services and activities.

As a local public agency (LPA), you cannot just 

assumed that all of your community's programs, 

services and activities are accessible. One of 

your primary 

responsibilities 

under these laws is 

to review, assess, 

and document that 

all programs, 

services and 

activities, including 

public rights-of-way, 

are accessible to 

people with disabilities. This is accomplished by 

conducting a self-evaluation. 

The self-evaluation process is the 

comprehensive assessment of your entity's 

current policies, practices, services, facilities and 

public rights-of-way. The findings at the 

completion of this process are used to create a 

document that identifies any deficiencies or 

discriminatory actions that affect people with 

disabilities, and hinder their access to the 

programs, services, and activities offered by 

your agency. 

Depending on the circumstances, as an LPA, 

your goal is to provide equivalent access, not 

necessarily "identical access," to all persons 

with disabilities. Depending on the number of 

facilities, services, and public rights-of-way for 

which you are responsible, and the resources 

available to you, the self-evaluation process may 

seem overwhelming. To keep the self-evaluation 

process manageable, it is a good idea to divide 

your inventory into three parts to conduct your 

assessments. The three parts are: 

• Policies, services, and communications

• Buildings

• Programs such as public rights-of-way. 

The most commonly used method to conduct a 

self-evaluation is the field inspection or survey 

method. After compiling an inventory of all areas 

under your control, physically visit each site to 

determine its level of accessibility. Using a form 

or checklist, document and record all items that 

This agency-wide process helps ensure that all programs, 

services, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

create accessibility barriers and deficiencies for 

individuals with disabilities. Remember, the 2004 

ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines (2004 

ADAAG) as modified and adopted by the U.S. 

Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) are 

the standards most effective under the Federal 

law for ensuring accessibility. However, for 

accessibility issues on which the U.S. DOT 

regulation is silent, FHWA recommends 

following the United States Access Board's 2005 

Draft Public Right-of-Way Accessibility 

Guidelines (2005 PROWAG).

While all facilities you manage are important, 

there are some critical areas that require 

immediate attention for accessibility review. 

Some of the areas that may need to be 

prioritized include public places that people in 

your community are likely to frequent, such as 

public right-of-way to access government 

offices, permit or licensing offices, public 

meeting rooms, core downtown areas, medical 

facilities, school zones and residential areas. 

Other places that you may want to place at the 

top of your list to evaluate include rest areas, 

parks, and shared-use trails. The public right-ofway system includes sidewalks, streets, 

crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, 

pedestrian signals, parking, and other 

components of public rights-of-way. 

Depending on the type of assessment you are 

conducting, you will need to carry a few tools. 

These tools can range from very basic items 

such as a level and measuring tape to more 

sophisticated electronic tools. Examples of 

electronic tools are a Geographic Information 

System (GIS) for recording applicable 

measurements, or a Segway with a meter to 

automatically evaluate and read slope 

measurements. 

To identify barriers in each site, at a minimum, 

take the following items with you to conduct your 

site reviews:

• A copy of the site plan showing where public 

programs are located

• Collated forms for each building

• Measurement guides

• Clipboards

• Pens or pencils (writing must photocopy 

clearly)

• Measuring tape

• A regular or digital (smart) level for 

measuring the degree of the slope on ramps 

and other slope surfaces (a hand level’s 

especially useful for long 

exterior slopes); 

• Chalk for marking 

distances on surfaces

• A camera

• Graph paper

When you have successfully 

completed the self-evaluation, 

you will have a documented, 

comprehensive inventory of facilities and public 

rights-of-way where modifications are needed. 

Use the completed inventory to begin defining 

the recommended solutions to make noncompliant facilities accessible to persons with 

disabilities. Your documented inventory will 

serve as the foundation for a comprehensive 

transition plan. The transition plan identifies the 

actions you will take to address the noncompliant issues.

To ensure that you are appropriately addressing 

the needs of individuals with disabilities, invite 

people with disabilities or their advocates to 

participate in the self-evaluation process. This is 

not only advantageous, but is also a requirement 

of the ADA and Section 504 laws. Individuals 

with disabilities often have unique ideas on how 

your programs, services, and activities can 

better serve them. These same individuals can 

offer unique perspectives on what hinders their 

involvement and participation. You can gain 

important insight into key issues that may not be 

readily apparent to someone without a disability. 

Soliciting 

input from 

individuals 

with 

disabilities 

during the 

selfevaluation 

process will 

ensure that improvements adequately 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

addressed their concerns and 

recommendations. 

All LPAs, regardless of size, are required to 

ensure accessibility for individuals with 

disabilities through the self-evaluation. It is a 

best practice to maintain a copy of your selfevaluation for at least three years from the date 

of completion. However, if you employ 50 or 

more employees, it is not only a best practice, it 

is a requirement. The completed document must 

include: 

• A list of the interested persons and entities 

or organizations consulted

• A description of areas examined and any 

problems identified

• A description of any modifications made

Regardless of your size, in the interest of 

transparency, keep a copy of the self-evaluation 

available in your files for public review. Also, for 

the convenience of the community at large, post 

a copy of your self-evaluation on your official 

Web site, and other venues where individuals 

who do not have access to a computer can 

obtain the information. 

As a public entity, it is your responsibility to 

ensure that individuals with disabilities can 

participate in all aspects of their civic, social and 

personal life within your community, both now 

and in the future. Consider your completed selfevaluation a "living" document, to be revisited 

and updated regularly. This will ensure your 

community's 

programs, 

services, and 

activities 

remain 

accessible. 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

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• Information from FHWA Office of Civil Rights on ADA and Section 504 

topics

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/civilrights/programs/ada_sect504qa.htm#q11

• Memo clarifying FHWA's oversight role in applying ADA-Section 504 

requirements

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/civilrights/memos/ada_memo_clarificationa.htm

• ADA guidance on developing transition plans specifically for State and 

local government programs and services

http://www.ada.gov/taman2.html

• U.S. Access Board guidelines on developing transition plans for public 

rights-of-way

http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/draft.htm

• Information on applying ADA accommodations in public rights-of way

http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/alterations/guide.htm

• Example of ADA sidewalk and curb ramp compliance program from 

Bellevue, WA

http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/pdf/Transportation/ADA_sidewalk_curb_ramp_articl

e.pd