ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was originally passed on July 26, 1990 and became effective on January 26, 1992. It is significant federal legislation designed to open up services and employment opportunities to Americans with disabilities.  As of September, 2010, the Department of Justice adopted new standards which will replace the original standards.

The ADA guidelines address accessibility for the following:

• Social Service Center Establishments – requires access to beds and roll-in showers
• Housing at Places of Education – requires accessible circulation within units of transient lodging and residential facilities
• Assembly Areas – requires wheelchair spaces companion seats in assembly areas
• Medical Care Facilities – requires accessible patient bedrooms
• Residential Dwelling Units – addresses dwelling units designed, constructed, or altered by state and local governments for sale to individuals
• Detention and Correctional Facilities –guidelines for accessible cells
• Places of Lodging (application of scoping provisions to sites with multiple facilities, alterations, and exclusion of residential-only units)

The United States Access Board

is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. They developed and continue to assess and evaluate the accessible design guidelines known as the ADA Accessibility Guidelines or “ADAAG”. The ADAAG contains requirements for new construction and modifications to existing structures to ensure accessibility in accordance with ADA. The Board’s guidelines in and of themselves are not mandatory on the public, but instead serve as the baseline for a variety of federal agencies who do enforce the standards.

The new standards, as adopted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in September 2010, are effective on March 15, 2012 and replace DOJ’s original ADA standards. DOJ is allowing immediate use of the 2010 standards as an alternative to the original 1991 standards.

Click here to view the new ADA standards

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ADA Compliant Anti-Suicide Grab Bars

It is possible to be ADA compliant while addressing the needs of patients likely to do harm to themselves by using anti-suicide grab bars.  These bars meet the requirements of ADA but have an antiligature closure plate in the offset between the bar and the wall.

View the ADA grab bar installation requirements

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