US Access Board seal CURRENT NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES ACCESS BOARD
ACCESS CURRENTS
Volume 8 No.2 March/ April 2002

Board Approves Final Guidelines for Recreation Facilities

At its March meeting, the Access Board unanimously approved final guidelines for accessible recreation facilities. The new guidelines, developed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will supplement existing Board guidelines for buildings and facilities by adding sections covering various types of recreation facilities. The guidelines address amusement rides, boating facilities, fishing piers and platforms, golf courses, miniature golf, sports facilities, swimming pools and spas. While these facility types are currently subject to the ADA, including design requirements in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), the new guidelines will clarify how, and to what extent, accessibility is achieved in new construction and alterations.

The guidelines are based on recommendations developed by an advisory group chartered by the Board, the Recreation Access Advisory Committee. The Board published the guidelines in proposed form in 1999 based on the Committee's recommendations and made them available for public comment for six months. During the comment period, the Board held public hearings in Dallas and Boston. The Board received approximately 300 comments in response to the proposal. The following year, the Board published a summary of changes to the guidelines it intended to make as a result of the comments received. This summary provided another opportunity for public input on the guidelines. The Board held information meetings on the summary in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.

The Board vote allows the rule to move on to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which reviews regulations developed by Federal agencies. OMB will have 90 days to review the new guidelines. Once cleared by OMB, the Board will publish the final guidelines in the Federal Register and will post them on its website.

Board to Release Draft Proposal on Public Rights-of-Way Access

In addition to the recreation facility guidelines, the Board is also developing guidelines on accessible public rights-of-way that will supplement its ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). These guidelines will address sidewalks, street crossings, and other related pedestrian facilities based on recommendations from an advisory committee organized by the Board. The Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee included representatives from disability organizations, public works departments, transportation and traffic engineering groups, design professionals and civil engineers, government agencies, and standards-setting bodies.

At its March meeting, the Board approved a plan to release a draft of the guidelines to be proposed. The draft document will provide the public a preview of the guidelines in advance of a proposed rule and will offer interested parties, including State and local governments, an opportunity to provide input at the outset of the rulemaking process. The Board will use the advance draft, which is scheduled to be released in mid-June, to solicit information, including cost data, on the guidelines to be proposed. The Board plans to hold a public information meeting on the released draft in Portland, Oregon, in early October that will provide a forum for public comment.

Senate Passes Voting Reform Measure; Bill Addresses Accessibility

On April 11, the Senate passed an election reform bill (S. 565) intended to prevent the type of ballot controversies that arose in the presidential election of 2000, particularly in the state of Florida. The Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 establishes requirements for voting systems used in Federal elections that would allow voters to verify and correct their selections before casting a ballot, remove language barriers, and permit provisional voting where eligible voters are not listed on official registration lists. The bill also contains key provisions on improving access to polling places and voting systems for persons with disabilities.

The bill requires that each voting system used in an election for Federal office be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision impairments, by January 1, 2006. Access is required so that persons with disabilities have the same opportunity for participation, including privacy and independence, afforded other voters. At least one voting system in each polling place would be required to be accessible. Most responsibilities of the bill ultimately would be assumed by a new independent entity, the Election Administration Commission, comprised of members appointed by the president with Senate approval. The Commission, in consultation with the Access Board, would be charged with issuing new standards for voting systems that would include provisions for accessibility. The bill requires the Commission to review and update the standards at least every four years.

The bill also authorizes $3.8 billion to fund several grant programs available to States and localities in meeting the new requirements, improving voting systems, and enhancing voter participation. The funds could be used toward the cost of making polling places and voting systems accessible and providing information on such access. In addition to its advisory role in the development of standards for voting systems, the Board would be responsible for establishing general policies and criteria for approving grants used to improve polling place access under one of the funding programs. The Senate bill must be reconciled with a similar reform measure passed by the House of Representatives in December. A reconciled version, as approved by both houses, would then be sent to the president for signature. Information on the House and Senate voting reform measures is available on the Election Reform Information Project website at www.electionline.org.

FEC Issues Updated Standards for Voting Systems

As Congress deliberated on voting reform measures, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) proceeded with an update of its standards for voting systems. On April 30, the FEC approved new standards which update those first issued in 1990. The Voting System Standards include functional and technical requirements for a number of voting system types and configurations (volume I) and testing specifications (volume II). A complete draft of the standards in proposed form was made available for public comment last December. Based on the comments received, the FEC determined that a public hearing would be helpful in considering issues raised by the proposed update, which was held in mid-April.

In developing the new standards, the FEC consulted the Board on provisions for access to voting systems. At the Board's recommendation, the FEC incorporated access requirements based on standards the Board previously issued for electronic and information technology in the Federal sector under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The access provisions are located in section 2.2.7 of the FEC's standards. In addition, the Board submitted testimony at the FEC hearing on how the specifications it had previously recommended could be further tailored for voting systems. The Board comments concerned access to voting system instructions, flashing displays, response times, and other access issues. The updated Voting System Standards will be posted next week on the FEC's website at www.fec.gov.

Report Issued on Human Factors Research Conference

Last summer, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design at SUNY, Buffalo held an international workshop on human factors research. Sponsored in part by the Board, the workshop brought together a number of experts in anthropometry, data analysis, and disability research. The purpose of the conference was to generate innovative ideas and approaches for collecting, analyzing, and applying human factors data on persons with disabilities to better inform the design of the built environment and communications. Twenty papers were presented on various topics, including the current state of knowledge, effective sampling strategies, structural measurement methods, functional anthropometry, data handling and analysis, human modeling in computer aided design (CAD), and impacts on design. A report based on the information presented at the conference will soon be available from the RERC on Universal Design on its website at www.ap.buffalo.edu/rercud/index.htm. For more information, contact A.J. Imiolo at (716) 829-3485 (ext. 336) or ajimiolo@ap.buffalo.edu.

Board Elects Davis Chair; President Bush Appoints New Members

The Board elected Thurman M. Davis, Sr. chairman at its March meeting. Davis is Deputy Administrator of the General Services Administration and previously served as Board chair in 1998 and 2000. Each year the Board selects a new chair, alternating between a public member and a Federal member. Davis succeeds Pamela Holmes, a public member from Madison, Wisconsin. The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal agencies and to directly represent the public. Half its members are representatives from most of the Federal departments. The other half is comprised of members of the public appointed by the President to four-year terms, a majority of whom must have a disability.

In April, President Bush named three new public members to the Board. Dr. Bruce Growick, a vocational expert for various national and state agencies, is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Services at The Ohio State University where he teaches courses, advises students, and conducts research in disability determination and rehabilitation. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University, Dr. Growick has published widely in the field of rehabilitation, particularly in areas relating to injured workers. Dr. Growick has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin and is a former president of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.

James R. ("J.R.") Harding, II Ed.D. of Tallahassee, Florida, is a program specialist 3 for government and customer relations at the Florida Department of Education's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Dr. Harding received a doctorate in higher education from Florida State University (FSU) in 1999. Dr. Harding is active in a variety of organizations and causes, including the FSU Alumni Association, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the Tallahassee Transportation Planning Advisory Committee, the Governor's Working Group on Americans with Disabilities, the Florida Paralyzed Veterans Association, and the North Florida Spinal Cord Association.

Jan Tuck of Marina del Rey, California, is manager of the accessibility compliance program for Princess Cruises, which has a network of operations extending to six continents and nearly 260 ports around the world. Tuck oversees access to Princess ships, as well as to affiliated hotels, tours, motor coaches, and rail cars. She has worked with the company for 25 years. Tuck served as a member of the Board's Passenger Vessel Access Advisory Committee, which developed recommendations on access to ferries, cruise ships, excursion boats, and other vessels for the Board's use in developing new guidelines to be proposed.

The new appointees succeed public members Pamela Holmes, John Catlin, and Donna Sorkin, who were appointed by President Clinton in 1993 and were reappointed in 1997.

Research Progresses on Accessible Surfacing Materials for Play Areas

A key consideration in the design of accessible play areas is the type of surface material to use. Such materials must be suitable for cushioning falls, yet firm and stable enough for wheelchair maneuvering. Guidelines for accessible play areas issued by the Board under the Americans with Disabilities Act reference standards developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for fall attenuation (ASTM F-1292) and wheelchair maneuverability (ASTM F-1951). Engineered wood fiber is a popular surface material. While effective in providing a low-impact surface, this material may require frequent maintenance in order to comply with the ASTM standard for accessibility. The Board is funding research by the Department of Agriculture's Forest Test Products Laboratory that will explore means of improving the usability and maintenance of this material.

In the first phase of the project, which was completed last fall, researchers analyzed various surface treatments on different types of wood. Based on this analysis, different test configurations were selected for field evaluations and performance testing to be conducted in the second phase of the project, which is currently underway. In March, ten test beds were prepared at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, that involve different materials, treatments, and application protocols. Impact tests and wheelchair maneuverability tests will be performed on these surfaces periodically over a six month period in order to assess durability and performance loss before and after field exposure.

The information gained through this research will help determine which methods work best in improving the usability and durability of engineered wood fiber materials while preserving its effectiveness as a cushioning surface. The results of the study may also point to the need for follow-up test projects. Those interested in this or future research projects on engineered wood fiber materials are encouraged to contact Bill Botten of the Access Board at (202) 272-0014 (voice), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or botten@access-board.gov.

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 (202) 272-5434 ext. 127 (voice) or (202) 272-5449 (TTY). Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000; Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.