Access Board News

The Access Board is initiating rulemaking to update its accessibility guidelines for rail cars covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seeks public comment on this effort. As indicated in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking it published today, the Board plans to update provisions in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles that apply to vehicles used in fixed guideway systems, including rapid, light, commuter, and intercity rail. The Board requests information from the public for its use in developing a proposed rule.

The Access Board is undertaking a study that has the potential to advance access to air travel for passengers who use wheelchairs. As directed by Congress, this project . . .

When Super Storm Sandy hit New York City in 2012, it destroyed most of the iconic Rockaway Boardwalk in Queens. The following year, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation began work to restore the 5½ mile boardwalk using disaster relief assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program. Shortly after the boardwalk reopened in May 2017, a complaint was filed with the Access Board . . .

The Access Board was created in part to enforce the first federal law to address accessibility, the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. This law requires access . . .

The inability to use one’s wheelchair on airplanes makes air travel very difficult, if not impossible, for many people with disabilities. It requires multiple transfers between boarding chairs and aircraft seats, posing injury risks. Airline seats are a poor alternative to personal wheelchairs which are typically customized for the user’s safety . . .

In 2017, the Access Board received a complaint about the accessibility of the Canyon Dam’s service road. Created by construction of the Canyon Dam on the Guadalupe River, Canyon lake and surrounding parkland is a favorite site for swimming, boating, fishing, as well as camping and hiking. A prized feature is a service road atop the dam that is also enjoyed by many in the area as a scenic walkway. The Board opened an investigation with . . .

The Access Board Board has released for public comment advisory guidelines for wheelchairs used on commercial passenger aircraft during flight. These onboard wheelchairs are provided by air carriers as a means of facilitating the transfer of passengers with disabilities to aircraft lavatories since personal wheelchairs cannot be used in the cabin. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has expressed its intention to supplement its . . .

The Access Board will hold a town hall meeting in Indianapolis on the afternoon of May 21 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The event will provide an open forum where members of the public can pose questions to the Board or share comments or concerns about accessibility for people with disabilities. There also will be panel . . .

The Access Board unanimously elected Board Member Karen Tamley as its new Chair on March 13. Tamley, who completed a term as Board Vice Chair, has served . . .

The General Services Administration (GSA) has improved access to the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Court House in Chattanooga, Tennessee in response to a complaint filed with the Board under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). Completed in 1933, the historic building is a notable example of the . . .