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Notice

The Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) rulemaking has concluded. The PROWAG final rule has been published in the Federal Register. Please visit the Access Board’s PROWAG page for the guidelines.

Access Board News

U.S. Access Board Celebrates 55th Anniversary of the Architectural Barriers Act

August 11, 2023
Lyndon B. Johnson signing legislation On August 12, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) into law at his ranch in Stonewall, Texas, and remarked the next day “it is humane legislation—which had the unanimous support of both Houses of Congress. I am pleased and proud to sign it into law.” Tomorrow marks the 55th anniversary of the ABA, one of the earliest measures by Congress to address access to the built environment by requiring . . .

U.S. Access Board Mourns Passing of Former Executive Director Larry Roffee

August 10, 2023
Larry and Maggie on cruise ship With deep sorrow, the U.S. Access Board announces the passing of former Executive Director Larry Roffee. He was appointed Executive Director of the Board in November 1988 and held the position for 20 years before retiring from federal service in August 2008. Mr. Roffee served in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 and was wounded in action in May 1970. On August 9, 2023, Roffee passed peacefully in Billings, Montana while . . .

President Biden Appoints Olivia Mae M. Asuncion to U.S. Access Board

August 09, 2023
President Joe Biden has appointed Olivia Mae M. Asuncion, AIA, as a Public Member to the U.S. Access Board. Asuncion succeeds Board Public Member Karen Braitmayer, who had been appointed by President Barack Obama and served as Board Chair and Vice-Chair in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Asuncion brings a breadth of knowledge in the architecture field and . . .

U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines

August 08, 2023
Wheelchair user crossing the street in the crosswalk Pedestrians with disabilities throughout the United States continue to face major challenges in travel because many sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian facilities are inaccessible. Today, the U.S. Access Board addressed this inequity by issuing a final rule on accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. These guidelines . . .

U.S. Access Board Extends Public Comment Period on Final Specification for Low Transfer Surface Height of Medical Diagnostic Equipment

August 02, 2023
Medical room with diagnostic equipment The U.S. Access Board has extended its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for 30 days. The NPRM addresses one provision on the low transfer surface height for certain types of MDE used by patients in a supine, prone, side-lying, or seated position. Public comments for the NPRM are due by August 31, 2023. The MDE Accessibility Standards require . . .

U.S. Department of Transportation Finalizes Rule on Accessible Airline Lavatories for Wheelchair Users

July 27, 2023
On the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new rule which requires airline lavatories to be more accessible. This rulemaking, authorized by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), would require airlines to make lavatories . . .

National Institutes of Health (NIH) RADx Tech Publishes Comprehensive Best Practices for the Design of Accessible COVID-19 Home Tests

July 27, 2023
Line drawings of a swab inserted into a nostril and a fluid vial held between fingertips with blue arrows. Available now and hosted by the U.S. Access Board, the Best Practices for the Design of Accessible COVID-19 Home Tests document aims to ensure that more people can access and use COVID-19 home tests, including those who are blind or have low vision, limited dexterity or fine motor skills, and the aging population. This comprehensive Best Practices document details . . .

U.S. Access Board Holds Town Hall Meeting at National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore

July 26, 2023
Board members seated at a head table and members of the public in chairs facing the head table. Yesterday, the U.S. Access Board held its 2023 town hall meeting at the national headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in Baltimore, MD. Eleven presidentially appointed Public Board Members were present, as well as Federal Member and Board Vice-Chair Katy Kale, Deputy Administrator at the General Services Administration (GSA), and . . .

U.S. Access Board Commemorates the 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

July 26, 2023
George H.W. Bush signing the ADA in 1990 Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our nation’s first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities that impacts millions of Americans. The ADA bans discrimination based on disability in the private sector and the state and local government sectors and requires access for all Americans to programs and services, facilities, transportation, employment, and communication. The U.S. Access Board celebrates the ADA, which extended the Board's mission to . . .

U.S. Access Board Visits Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating Adaptive Boating Center

July 25, 2023
Access Board members and staff on Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating sailboat on Chesapeake Bay. Yesterday, U.S. Access Board members and staff visited Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) Adaptive Boating Center in Annapolis, MD to learn about CRAB’s new accessible boathouse and marina and adaptive boating program for people with disabilities. Over the last five years, CRAB consulted with several organizations, including the Board and its Accessibility Specialists who provided technical assistance in the accessible design of the facility. With its grand opening on May 2 of this year, the Center offers . . .