Architectural Accessibility

The ADA requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to be designed, constructed, and altered in compliance with the ADA standards for accessible design. An alteration is something that affects the usability of the building element or space. For example, installing a new display counter, moving walls in a sales area, replacing fixtures, carpet or flooring, and replacing an entry door would be viewed as alterations. Basic maintenance, like repainting a wall is not viewed as an alteration.

The ADA requires places of public accommodation to take steps to improve access by removing barriers in existing buildings. The steps each business is required to take to remove access barriers depends on several factors including the size and financial resources of the business.

• 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design

  U.S. Department of Justice standards for new construction and alterations for places of public accommodations and commercial facilities.

• Guidance on the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design: Volume 2

  U.S. Department of Justice guidance on the 2010 ADA standards.

• ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business

  U.S. Department of Justice guide that presents an informal overview of some basic ADA requirements for small businesses that provide goods or services.

• ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal

  This Checklist, created by the New England ADA Center a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design, identifies accessibility problems and solutions in existing facilities.

• Guide to the ADA Standards

  U.S. Access Board guidance on the ADA standards.

• ADA Title III Technical Assistance Manual

  U.S. Department of Justice manual providing explanation of the regulations and accessibility standards applying to places of public accommodations and commercial facilities.

• ADA Compliance Brief: Restriping Parking Spaces

  U.S. Department of Justice document providing information about creating accessible car and van spaces when parking lots are restriped.

• ADA Requirements: Accessible Pools - Means of Entry and Exit

  U.S. Department of Justice publication designed to help title III entities understand how new requirements for swimming pools, especially existing pools.