Access Board Resolves 55 Architectural Barriers Act Cases Through Corrective Action in FY 2020
The Access Board was created in part to enforce the first federal law to address accessibility, the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA). This law requires access to buildings or facilities that were designed, built, or altered with federal dollars or leased by federal agencies. The Board also maintains the guidelines upon which the ABA Standards are based.
With passage of other laws, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Board’s mission has expanded significantly. It is now responsible for developing and keeping up to date accessibility requirements for the wide array of facilities covered by the ADA, as well as for transportation vehicles and systems. It also issues standards for information and communication technology and for medical diagnostic equipment.
Despite these other duties, the Board continues the important work of enforcing the ABA. We do this through the investigation of complaints from the public. Filing a complaint with the Board is easy to do and can be done through an online form. Complaints should include the name and address of the facility and a brief description of the access barriers or issues. Complaints can be filed anonymously.
The first step of an investigation is to determine whether the facility at issue is covered by the ABA. If so, the next step is to determine whether the facility meets the applicable accessibility standard. If the facility is not subject to the ABA or if it meets the appropriate accessibility standard, the Board will advise the complainant of its findings. Some facilities are not covered by the ABA but by other laws such as the ADA, which is enforced by other agencies and the courts.
If the facility does not meet the applicable standard, the Board will work with the responsible entities to develop a plan to bring the facility into compliance. Complaints are typically resolved amicably with the responsible agencies or departments. Cases remain open until all necessary corrective action is completed. In FY 2020, the Board resolved 55 cases through corrective action – continuing an upward trend from 43 such cases in FY 2018 and 48 in FY 2019.
ABA Cases Resolved Through Corrective
(October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020)
U.S. Postal Facilities – 37 Resolved Cases
- U.S. Post Office (Cullman, Alabama): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of two interior doors and two exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Ketchikan, Alaska): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic doors at the customer entrance.
- U.S. Post Office (Oro Valley, Arizona): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Fullerton, California): The Postal Service took corrective action to install a van accessible parking space and a compliant entrance ramp.
- U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center (Redlands, California): The Postal Service took corrective action to: install four accessible parking spaces and compliant curb ramps; install an accessible writing desk; lower two service counters to make them accessible; and adjust the manual opening force of four front entry doors and four vestibule doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Trinidad, Colorado): The Postal Service took voluntary corrective action to install a doorbell on the exterior of the facility so that patrons with disabilities can ring for staff assistance. The building was constructed prior to the enactment of the ABA and has not been altered since; for that reason, an accessible entrance is not required.
- U.S. Post Office (Deltona, Florida): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of two interior doors and two exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Fernandina Beach, Florida): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Chicago, Illinois): The Postal Service took corrective action at this facility, located in Chicago’s Federal Center Plaza, to: mark the accessible entrance (which has an automatic door opener); repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on other manual customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them; and install directional signage.
- U.S. Post Office (Satanta, Kansas): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of one interior door and one exterior door.
- U.S Post Office (Topeka, Kansas): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair several automatic interior and exterior entrance doors at the facility entrance.
- U.S. Post Office (Crittenden, Kentucky): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Erlanger, Kentucky): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (New Orleans, Louisiana): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic entrance door.
- U.S. Post Office (Grandville, Michigan): The Postal Service relocated a van accessible parking space to a proper location on the shortest accessible route to the facility entrance. The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of one interior door and four exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Henderson, Minnesota): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic door at the customer entrance.
- U.S. Post Office (Mankato, Minnesota): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic entrance door.
- U.S. Post Office (Southaven, Mississippi): The Postal Service took corrective action to install three accessible parking spaces, including one van accessible space, in the parking lot serving the facility.
- U.S. Post Office (Starkville, Mississippi): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the manual door closers on three entrance doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Platte City, Missouri): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair an automatic exterior entrance door at the facility, and to replace the door closers on three interior doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (North Platte, Nebraska): In an effort to address pervasive, recurring mechanical problems with several automatic entrance doors at the facility, the Postal Service opted to remove the automatic door closers on each of the doors and replace them with standard manual doors that conform to the standards.
- U.S. Post Office (Rio Rancho, New Mexico): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of two interior doors and three exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (New York, New York): The Postal Service replaced existing manual customer entrance doors with automatic doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Spencer, New York): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic door at the customer entrance.
- U.S. Post Office (Cincinnati, Ohio): The Postal Service repaired the door closer on one of the customer entrance doors and installed a van accessible parking space, along with a compliant entrance ramp and compliant walkway connecting the parking space to the ramp.
- U.S. Post Office (Medford, Oregon): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force and door closure speed for the exterior entrance door.
- U.S. Post Office (Monroeville, Pennsylvania): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Reading, Pennsylvania): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of two interior doors and two exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Charleston, South Carolina): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust the manual opening force of three interior doors and two exterior doors.
- U.S. Post Office (Elgin, Texas): The Postal Service installed a van accessible parking space at the facility.
- U.S. Post Office (Killeen, Texas): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair, adjust, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to reduce the force needed to open them manually.
- U.S. Post Office (Lindale, Texas): The Postal Service took corrective action to remove displays and other obstructions that were impeding the accessible route from the facility entrance to the customer serving counter.
- U.S. Post Office (Lockhart, Texas): The Postal Service took corrective action to install an entrance ramp to the facility’s addition, along with associated directional signage.
- U.S. Post Office (Price, Texas): The Postal Service took corrective action to install an accessible parking space.
- U.S. Post Office (Ruther Glen, Virginia): The Postal Service installed two new van accessible parking spaces and a new curb ramp on the accessible route connecting the parking spaces to the facility entrance.
Military and Veterans Affairs Facilities – 10 Resolved Cases
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Anchorage, Alaska): The Base’s command took corrective action to install an accessible parking space in a lot serving one of the buildings on base.
- United States Naval Base Ventura County, Building 1443 (Port Hueneme, California): The Department of the Navy took corrective action to modernize and repair the elevator providing access to the building’s second floor.
- Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, Building 168 (Jacksonville, Florida): The Department of the Navy took corrective action to install a platform lift to provide access to the building’s second floor.
- Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, Building 168 (Jacksonville, Florida): The Department of the Navy took corrective action to make the men’s and women’s toilet rooms accessible and to install a platform lift to provide access to the building’s second floor.
- Kilauea Military Camp (Volcano, Hawaii): The Department of the Army took corrective action to install compliant toilet and shower rooms in four accessible cottages and two other guest buildings at this Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center.
- Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (Indianapolis, Indiana): The Department of Veterans Affairs took corrective action to install an inclined platform lift to provide access to a suite of offices in one of the buildings at the Center.
- Joint Base Andrews (Joint Base Andrews, Maryland): The Department of the Air Force took corrective action to repair the elevator in one of the buildings on base.
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, New Hampshire): The Department of the Navy took major corrective action to install, and/or bring into compliance with the standards, a cumulative total of 61 accessible parking spaces (including 11 van accessible spaces) in the various parking lots throughout the Shipyard.
- Philadelphia Navy Yard (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): The Department of the Navy took corrective action to install four accessible parking spaces, including one van accessible space, in a parking lot serving one of the buildings at the facility.
- Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic – Naval Air Station Oceana (Virginia Beach, Virginia): The Department of the Navy took corrective action to install seven accessible parking spaces, including two van accessible spaces, in a parking lot serving one of the Wing’s buildings at NAS Oceana.
Recreation Facilities – 5 Resolved Cases
- Interpretive Center – Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (Great Falls, Montana): The U.S. Forest Service installed an assistive listening system in the auditorium/theater in this facility.
- Three complaints concerning the Rockaway Boardwalk (Far Rockaway, New York): The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation took corrective action to install access ramps at two different locations on the Rockaway Boardwalk, which had been rebuilt following Superstorm Sandy using funds from federal grants.
- Washington Irving South Recreation Area – Keystone Lake (Sand Springs, Oklahoma): The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took corrective action to improve the accessibility of the ramp serving the gate house at the facility.
Other Facilities – 3 Resolved Cases
- United States Customs and Immigration Service (Baltimore, Maryland): The building’s lessor, in consultation with the General Services Administration, took voluntary corrective action to install a soap dispenser at the accessible lavatory in one of the building’s toilet rooms.
- Public sidewalk (Wilson, North Carolina): The City of Wilson installed a curb ramp at a public sidewalk that had been constructed using funds from a Department of Transportation grant.
- Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Seattle, Washington): The Authority, commonly referred to as Sound Transit, installed an accessible parking space in an employee lot serving one of its buildings – a building which had been constructed using funds from a Department of Transportation grant.