Access Board News

At its April meeting, the U.S. Access Board elected Elver Ariza-Silva as its new Chair and Dr. Michael Brennan as its new Vice-Chair. Ariza-Silva is a disability community advocate based out of the District of Columbia. Dr. Brennan is Executive Director for the Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) . . .

This year’s annual Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) will be held virtually on May 20 and 21. The event will be built on the theme Accessible by Design: Enhancing Efficiency in Federal ICT and will take place over Zoom for Government. IAAF will feature a blend of presentations, workshops, and discussions led by accessibility professionals in the federal, private, and other sectors. Presentation topics include . . .

With great sadness, the U.S. Access Board mourns our friend and colleague Mario Damiani, who passed away on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Those who would like to share a memory of Mario can do so using the Kudoboard created in his honor. In addition to sharing a memory through the Kudoboard, please join the Access Board today, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, from 3:00 – 4:30 pm (ET), for a memorial event in honor of Mario’s contributions to the disability community. Attendees are invited to share their memories of Mario . . .

All are welcome to attend the public session of the next meeting of the U.S. Access Board, which will be open to the public and take place on April 30 from 1:30 – 3:00 PM (ET). The agenda for the meeting includes the election of officers, brief reports from standing and ad hoc Board committees, federal agency updates, and a report by Executive Director Sachin Pavithran . . .

With deep sorrow, the U.S. Access Board announces the passing of staff member Mario Damiani, who had served at the agency since 2014. As a Senior Compliance Specialist in the Office of General Counsel, Mario investigated complaints filed under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA). The law requires that facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with federal funds be accessible. The Access Board is responsible for enforcing the ABA, and Mario played a lead role through . . .

The Access Board's upcoming Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 29 has been postponed. An announcement will be made as soon as a new date has been set . . .

On December 6, 2024, President Joe Biden appointed a new member to the U.S. Access Board: Betty R. Siegel, of Virginia. Betty as a newly appointed member brings a diverse range of knowledge and experiences—spanning the arts and culture, emerging assistive technology, inclusive customer service, and disability rights. Betty Siegel is Director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A recognized leader and expert in disability and accessibility practices within the arts and culture sectors . . .

With great sadness, the U.S. Access Board mourns the passing of former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr., who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A native Georgian, President Carter began his public career in the Georgia State Senate, where he served for two terms from 1963 to 1967. He would later go on to be elected the 76th Governor of Georgia, where he served from 1971 to 1975 . . .

All are welcome to attend the next meeting of the U.S. Access Board, which will be open to the public and take place virtually on January 29 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (ET). The agenda for the meeting includes brief reports from standing and ad hoc Board committees, federal agency updates, and a report by Executive Director Sachin Pavithran . . .

On December 18, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule adopting the Access Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) as part of its Americans with Disability Act (ADA) standards for new construction and alterations of transit stops in the public right-of-way. The ADA directs the Access Board to issue technical guidelines for accessible design that serve as the basis of DOT and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) enforceable ADA Accessibility Standards . . .