Source: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/buildings-and-sites/about-the-ada-standards/guide-to-the-ada-standards/chapter-2-alterations-and-additions?tmpl=component&print=1&page=
Timestamp: 2018-02-20 13:54:16
Document Index: 201197220

Matched Legal Cases: ['§202', '§202', '§202', '§202', '§106', '§106', '§206', '§202', '§206', '§215', '§35', '§36', '§37', '§206', '§206', '§213']

Chapter 2: Alterations and Additions - United States Access Board
General [§202.1]
Additions [§202.2]
Alterations [§202.3]
Alterations Affecting Primary Function Areas [§202.4]
This guide provides an introduction to the scoping requirements that form the basis for the Department of Justice’s 2010 ADA Standards and the Department of Transportation's ADA Standards and is not intended to be comprehensive or used as a stand-alone technical guide to those requirements. Users of this guide must familiarize themselves with the specific scoping requirements that apply to each element, building, facility, or site that is subject to the Standards adopted to implement titles II and III of the ADA. See the introduction to the guide on “ADA Scoping: New Construction” for further discussion.
Additions and alterations undertaken at existing facilities are covered by the ADA Standards. The extent of application is largely determined by a project’s scope of work as the standards apply to those elements or spaces that are altered or added. Additional requirements apply to projects that affect or could affect the usability of, or access to, an area containing a primary function.
Projects that increase, expand, or extend a facility’s gross floor area or height of a facility are considered additions (as defined in §106.5) and must comply with the requirements of the standards applicable to new construction. Existing elements and spaces affected by an addition are treated as alterations and qualify for certain allowances or exceptions that are not permitted in new construction.
Alterations are defined in the standards (§106.5) as “a change in a building or facility that affects or could affect the usability of a building or facility or portion thereof.” Many types of projects are covered as “alterations,” including remodeling, renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, restoration, resurfacing of circulation paths or vehicular ways, and changes or rearrangement of structural parts, elements, or walls. Normal maintenance, reroofing, painting or wallpapering, or changes to mechanical and electrical systems are not considered alterations unless they affect a facility’s usability. For example, a project limited to an HVAC system that includes the addition of thermostats would affect a facility’s usability because it involves elements (operable parts) covered by the standards.
Examples of Provisions for Alterations
An accessible route to stories and mezzanines is required in alterations (or additions) where stairs or escalators are added where none existed previously and major structural modifications are necessary (§206.2.3.1) (or as needed to provide an accessible path of travel to an altered primary function area if not disproportionate to the cost (§202.4)), unless the building is exempt from the requirement for access between stories.
If elevators are altered, all cars programmed to respond to the same call control must be similarly modified (§206.6.1).
Compliant fire alarm systems are required only in alterations where fire alarm systems are installed new, replaced, or upgraded (§215.1, Ex. 1).
Additional requirements apply when alterations are made to areas containing a “primary function,” which is a major activity intended for a facility. Examples of primary function areas include dining areas of a restaurant, retail space in a store, exam rooms in a doctor’s office, classrooms in a school, and offices and other work areas where the activities of a covered entity are carried out. Spaces not considered primary function areas include entrances, corridors, restrooms, break rooms, employee locker rooms, and mechanical or electrical closets. Restrooms are not primary function areas unless their provision is the primary purpose of a facility, such as a highway rest stop. DOJ’s 2010 ADA Standards and DOT’s ADA regulations contain detailed provisions on alterations to primary function areas that must be applied in addition to section 202.4.
When alterations are made to a primary function area, an accessible path of travel to the area must be provided. The accessible path of travel must extend from the altered primary function area to site arrival points, including public sidewalks and parking and passenger loading zones provided on the site. The path of travel also includes access to restrooms, telephones, and drinking fountains, where provided to serve the primary function area. In leased facilities, alterations made by a tenant to primary function areas that only the tenant occupies do not trigger a path of travel obligation upon the landlord with respect to areas of the facility under the landlord’s authority if those areas are not otherwise being altered.
The accessible path of travel is required to the extent that it is not “disproportionate” to the total cost. Regulations implementing the standards define “disproportionate” as exceeding 20% of the total cost of alterations to the primary function area. The 20% cap applies only to costs associated with the accessible path of travel, including an accessible route to the primary function area from site arrival points, entrances, and retrofits to restrooms, telephones, and drinking fountains.
The requirements for alterations to primary function areas are found in DOJ’s ADA Standards at 28 CFR §35.151(b) (title II) and 28 CFR §36.403 (title III) and in DOT’s ADA Regulation at 49 CFR §37.43.
Compliance is required up to the point the 20% cost cap is reached, even where it does not result in a fully accessible path of travel. Where costs exceed this cap, compliance should be prioritized in this order:
access to other elements such as parking and storage
The standards contain specific provisions for qualified historic facilities which are defined as buildings or facilities that are “listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or designated as historic under an appropriate State or local law.” Alterations to qualified historic facilities must comply with section 202.5 to the maximum extent feasible. If it is not feasible to provide physical access to an historic property in a manner that will not threaten or destroy the historic significance of the building or facility, alternative methods of access are permitted by DOJ’s ADA Standards (28 CFR 35.151(b)(3)(ii) and 28 CFR 36.405(b)).
Like other existing facilities, the requirements for alterations apply in relation to the scope of work. Alterations provisions and exceptions, including those based on technical infeasibility, and requirements for path of travel to primary function areas, apply to historic facilities with exceptions for circumstances where compliance with the standards would threaten or destroy the historic integrity or significance of a facility as determined by the appropriate State Historic Preservation Official or Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. These exceptions apply to requirements for accessible routes (§206.2) entrances (§206.4), and toilet rooms (§213.2).
How is “technical infeasibility” determined in an alteration?
DOJ’s ADA regulations address access to existing facilities that are not being altered. The regulations require removal of barriers by public accommodations (title III) and program access by state and local governments (title II). The 2010 Standards apply when architectural changes are made to facilities in order to comply with the program access requirements of title II of the ADA. In addition, the 2010 Standards are the benchmark for compliance with the title III barrier removal requirements. For more information about barrier removal and program access, visit DOJ’s website at www.ada.gov or contact the DOJ ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).