US Access Board seal CURRENT NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES ACCESS BOARD
ACCESS CURRENTS
Volume 9 No.1 July/ August 2003

Board to Travel to Seattle in September

Each year the Board holds a public meeting in a different city to discuss various aspects of accessibility and the work of the Board. These town meetings typically focus on topics that relate to the Board’s rulemaking agenda and allow members of the public to discuss issues of accessibility with Board members in an informal setting. They also provide an opportunity for the Board to visit sites and explore access issues in greater depth.

This year, the Board will travel to Seattle to conduct a public meeting on access to passenger vessels on September 9th. The meeting will focus on means of providing access onto and off of large vessels. Standard methods of boarding vessels and the dynamic interplay between vessels and shoreside facilities present unique challenges to accessibility. The Board aims to collect information on gangways and other means of access onto and off of large vessels such as dinner boats, cruise vessels, and ferries. In advance of the meeting, Board members will tour several types of these vessels in the area. An informal reception will follow the meeting. The Board will use information gained from the meeting and tours to complete its deliberations on draft guidelines for passenger vessels. The Board held a similar meeting in New Orleans in August.

While in the Seattle area the Board also plans to collect information on industry efforts to improve access to information technology through a visit to Microsoft’s headquarters. In addition, Board members will tour area parks to examine means of providing access to trails, and camping and picnic areas, and other outdoor sites. For further information on the passenger vessel meeting and reception, contact the Board at (202) 272-0012 (voice), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or pvag@access-board.gov (e-mail). Information on the guidelines for passenger vessels to be developed is available on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/pvaac/status.htm.

Public Meeting on Vessel Access
September 9, 2003 1:30 – 5:30
Seattle Marriott Waterfront
free reception immediately following

Conference on Wheeled Mobility Research to be Held in October

An international workshop on space requirements for wheeled mobility aids will be held October 9 – 11, 2003, at the State University of New York at Buffalo. The workshop is part of a multi-year research project sponsored by the Board to develop a database on human measures that take into account the variety of powered mobility aids now in use. The workshop and research project are being conducted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design.

The main goal for the workshop is to review and validate the data collection plan for the project and to develop a consensus methodology for determining the space requirements for wheeled mobility devices. Experts in the fields ofanthropometry, data analysis, and disability research are scheduled to attend, including those from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Papers to be presented at the workshop will address trends and issues in wheeled mobility technologies, disability data and demographics, and lift and ramp technologies. There will also be presentations on related research from other countries, anthropometry and accessibility guidelines, long-range research plans, and human modeling software. For further information on the workshop, contact the RERC at (716) 829-3485 ext. 329 or rercud@ap.buffalo.edu (e-mail).

Status of Requirements for Detectable Warnings

Detectable warnings, a distinctive surface pattern of domes detectable by cane or underfoot, are used to alert people with vision impairments of their approach to streets and hazardous drop-offs. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) require these warnings on the surface of curb ramps, which remove a tactile cue otherwise provided by curb faces, and at other areas where pedestrian ways blend with vehicular ways. They are also required along the edges of boarding platforms in transit facilities and the perimeter of reflecting pools.

The Board temporarily suspended the requirements for detectable warnings in 1994 due to concerns raised about the specifications, the availability of complying products, maintenance issues such as snow and ice removal, usefulness, and safety. This suspension applied to all requirements for detectable warnings except those at boarding platforms in transit stations. The departments of Justice and Transportation, which maintain enforceable standards based on ADAAG, joined the Board in this action. As a result, the requirements for detectable warnings were temporarily removed from the ADA standards. The suspension expired on July 26, 2001. Consequently, the requirements for detectable warnings at curb ramps and other areas are again part of ADAAG and the enforceable standards.

During the suspension, the Board sponsored further research on detectable warnings. The Board also conducted a comprehensive review of ADAAG in an effort to update its requirements. In addition, it resumed work on developing a supplement to ADAAG specific to public rights-of-ways. Because issues concerning the use of detectable warnings are most relevant to public streets and sidewalks, the Board determined that provisions for detectable warnings on curb ramps should be addressed in rulemaking on public rights-of-ways rather than facilities on sites. As a result, the Board did not include requirements for detectable warnings at curb ramps (or hazardous vehicular areas and reflecting pools) in its proposal to update ADAAG.

Currently, the Board is in the process of developing guidelines on public rights-of-ways that, once finalized, will supplement the new ADAAG. While ADAAG covers various features common to public streets and sidewalks, such as curb ramps and crosswalks, further guidance is necessary to address conditions unique to public rights-of-way. Constraints posed by space limitations at sidewalks, roadway design practices, slope, and terrain raise valid questions on how and to what extent access can be achieved. Guidance on providing access for blind pedestrians at street crossings is also considered essential.

In June 2002, the Board released guidelines on public rights-of-way in draft form and made them available for public comment. Through this release, the Board sought information and feedback, including usability and cost data, for its use in developing a proposed rule, which will provide an additional opportunity for comment in the future. The guidelines are based on recommendations the Board received from an advisory body it had chartered, the Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee. This committee included representation from disability organizations, public works departments, transportation and traffic engineering groups, design professionals and civil engineers, government agencies, and standards-setting bodies. The committee’s recommendations, which are contained in a report, "Building a True Community," include new specifications for detectable warnings.

The draft guidelines, consistent with the advisory committee’s recommendations, included revised technical criteria for detectable warnings. The draft specifications are responsive to concerns that had been raised about the impact of the truncated dome surface on wheelchair maneuvering. The revised specifications, if adopted, would permit wider dome spacing, an in-line grid pattern, and smaller surface coverage at curb ramps (24 inches instead of the full ramp length, set back from the curbline). Additional rulemaking steps, including another public comment period, must be completed before the Board can finalize the rights-of-way guidelines. Further information and links to related resources are available on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/adaag/dws/update.htm.

Workshop to Explore Use of Elevators in Emergencies

As a result of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the building, engineering, and life safety communities are re-examining various aspects of emergency egress from high rise buildings. One issue under consideration is the use of elevators in emergencies. Typically, elevators are programmed so that they cannot be used during an emergency except in limited cases by fire fighters and rescue personnel. However, the challenges posed by egress from tall buildings have renewed interest in the ways in which elevators can be safely used to evacuate building occupants during fires and other emergencies.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International will hold a workshop on this subject next March in Atlanta. ASME International maintains and distributes various codes and standards for the design, manufacturing and installation of mechanical devices, including elevators. Workshop cosponsors include the Board, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the International Code Council, the National Fire Protection Association, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.

The workshop will focus on the use of elevators by building occupants and fire fighters during emergencies. The goal is to develop specific proposals that can be submitted to various codes and standard-setting organizations for consideration. The workshop will consist of plenary sessions at which selected papers will be presented and breakout sessions where attendees can discuss and prepare recommendations. Following the workshop, a steering committee comprised of representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations will convene to review the proposals.

Those encouraged to participate include representatives from building, fire, and elevator code organizations, code enforcement officials, elevator and fire alarm manufacturers, fire protection engineers, fire fighters and emergency personnel, architects and structural engineers, and building owners and operators, among others. For further information, visit ASME’s website at www.asme.org/cns/elevators/.

Workshop on the Use of Elevators in Fires & Other Emergencies
March 2 - 4, 2004
Atlanta, Georgia

Toll-Free Hotline is Available for Air Travelers with Disabilities

The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits discriminatory treatment of people with disabilities in air travel and applies to both domestic and foreign air carriers. Enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the law covers a range of issues, including boarding assistance and access features in newly built aircraft. A toll-free hotline established by DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division is now available to provide guidance on the rights of air travelers with disabilities under the law and to help resolve disability-related air travel service problems.

The hotline is designed to assist air travelers with disabilities in resolving issues on the spot as they occur or in advance of travel. Hotline operators facilitate airline compliance with DOT's regulations by outlining to the passenger and the airline involved appropriate solutions to disputes, such as those that may arise over the boarding of service animals, the provision of boarding assistance, or the stowage of wheelchairs in the cabin, among others. Operators will contact air carriers as necessary in order to resolve these and other types of issues. In addition, callers can receive general information instantly over the phone or can request printed information about the rights of air travelers with disabilities. The hotline can be reached at (800) 778-4838 (voice) or (800) 455-9880 (TTY) from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Those who wish to have a complaint investigated by DOT should submit complaints by e-mail to airconsumer@ost.dot.gov or by mail to: Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Additional information is available on DOT’s website at www.dot.gov/airconsumer.

Digital Wireless Phones to be Hearing Aid Compatible under FCC Ruling

In July the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a report and order that requires digital wireless telephones to be accessible to people who use hearing aids. Under the new rule, manufacturers and service providers will be required to make available products that are compatible with hearing aids. Although the agency agreed on the principles of the new rule, it has not yet issued a final order.

Digital technologies have posed significant compatibility challenges to the users of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Unlike analog wireless phones, digital wireless phones can emit interference caused by radio frequency from the antenna and magnetic interference from the battery leads and other electronic components. The FCC ruling directs wireless phone manufacturers and service providers to take steps to reduce the amount of interference caused by handsets. They also require the provision of digital wireless phones that are capable of coupling with hearing aids and cochlear implants equipped with telecoils.

Since 1989 most telephones manufactured or imported for use in the United States are required to be hearing aid compatible under the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act. The Act had exempted wireless phones but also directed the FCC to periodically assess whether the exception should be revoked or modified in light of technological advancements and consumer need. The recent FCC action revises the exemption for digital wireless phones and specifies new hearing aid compatibility requirements, including technical criteria based on standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The FCC also urged hearing aid manufacturers to label their products with ratings in accordance with the ANSI standard to help consumers assess the compatibility of hearing aids with digital wireless phones. Additional information is available on the FCC’s website at http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/accessiblewireless.html.

Access Currents is a free newsletter issued by the Access Board every other month by mail and e-mail. Send questions or comments to news@access-board.gov or call (800) 872-2253 ext. 0026 (voice) or (800) 993-2822 (TTY). Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000; Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.