2.0 Federal Laws and Regulations and Public Housing

 

2.5 Information Sources

The implementation of the ADA and other access regulations raises many questions. The regulations do not cover all facilities that were clearly covered by the Act. Innovative new approaches to design have emerged for which new interpretations are needed for how to apply standards and guidelines. Some examples are stadium style movie theaters, ATM's, tactile signs, visual alarm systems and real time captioned text. New standards and guidelines are emerging from the government and new rulings are issued constantly by the court system as the law and its applicability in various situations is challenged. New products are also being developed to comply with the standards and guidelines or to provide more effective alternatives than existing products. Thus, the construction industry has a continual need for up to date information on access issues.

Many sources now provide news and information about implementation of accessibility regulations. The best sources are government agencies. The Department of Justice, the agency charged with issuing regulations, enforcement and providing technical assistance for the ADA, has developed many materials to help understand the regulations and to provide guidance in meeting them. They have a web site where news is posted and documents can be downloaded:

www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm  

The DoJ also has a toll free telephone number 1(800)514-0301  for technical assistance. 

The U.S. Access Board, the agency responsible for writing and interpreting the ADAAG and UFAS also has an extensive web site:

www.access-board.gov 

The Access Board has a a toll free number too: (800)872-2253: 

The Access Board publishes a bi-monthly newsletter on their activities called "Access Currents" that is available free of charge.

There are also many private sources of information. Some of the most useful are:

The Universal Design Newsletter: Published by Universal Designers and Consultants, Inc., this is a quarterly newsletter with technical information on selected issues, news about regulations and court cases, product reviews and a calendar of upcoming events. Subscriptions can be obtained on-line at:

 www.universaldesign.com/newsletter.html

Sweet’s Accessible Building Products Catalog File: This subscription catalog brings products designed to meet access codes and standards together in one place.

ARCAT: This product catalog is available free in hard copy and CD-ROM. There is also a web site www.arcat.com. The catalog features accessible products but is not limited to them.

Means ADA Compliance Pricing Guide: This subscription service publication provides average cost data for typical accessibility renovations.

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