An Accessibility Review is an evaluation of a property’s compliance with applicable federal, state, and local accessibility regulations. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal regulation that was passed in 1990 with no “grandfathering” clause for older facilities. Other state and local building accessibility codes also apply. The most recent enforceable standards for compliance with the ADA are the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Standards). The 2010 Standards set minimum requirements for newly designed and constructed or altered State and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Other regulations include the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.
Accessibility Reviews can be completed for existing facilities, pre-construction plan reviews for new construction, barrier removal reviews, and corrective design for plan checks. An accessibility review includes an evaluation of the paths of travel throughout the exterior and interior portions of a property, as well as the accessible design of parking spaces, ramps, stairs, public spaces, restrooms, signage, guestrooms, residential dwelling units, and other special uses.
Accessibility Reviews can be performed on a building to check compliance against the following regulations:
Accessibility screening is routinely incorporated into Property Condition Assessments. The ASTM E2018 Standard for Property Condition Assessments provides the option of screening for ADA or Federal Fair Housing concerns, but additional assessment can be performed depending on the needs of the user. Detailed accessibility reviews including a CASp report and certification for properties located in the state of California can be performed as well.
Accessibility surveys are typically conducted by professionals trained in ADA compliance or by organizations that specialize in accessibility consulting. These surveys may include physical inspections of buildings, websites, or digital services.
Common barriers to accessibility include physical obstacles like stairs without ramps or narrow doorways, as well as digital barriers like websites that aren’t compatible with screen readers or lack alternative text for images.
Organizations can ensure compliance with ADA regulations by conducting regular accessibility surveys, implementing the necessary improvements identified in those surveys, providing training to staff on disability rights and accommodations, and staying informed about updates to accessibility standards.
