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ADA requirements can be ambiguous, says AIA

February 25, 2002—The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently invited the AIA to participate in a discussion on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The meeting, entitled, Making the Promise of the ADA a Reality: A Working Meeting of Disability and Business Leaders, provided a forum for advocacy groups to openly discuss the ADA and its implementation.

A question raised at the meeting was whether advocacy groups view the ADA as a legal obligation or a business opportunity. The AIA emphasized that architects consider the ADA an excellent opportunity to market accessible designs that will benefit not just the disabled community, but society as a whole. Many facilities that are designed to comply with the ADA also provide increased access to other segments of society, such as the elderly and children. However, the application of the ADA lacks clear and specific requirements on how to design structures that comply with the law. This lack of guidance can leave architects frustrated because they usually work in a world of certainties and exacting standards. The AIA stressed to the DOJ that consistent, evenhanded enforcement of the ADA is essential to designing accessible facilities. Ambiguous requirements often lead to unintentional violations. The AIA believes that clear, certain, and understandable guidance will result in greater access for all.

The AIA says it will continue to support DOJ certification of state building codes. State certification is important because, according to DOJ, it allows individuals to be "assured of compliance through inspections early in the construction process, when mistakes can be corrected relatively easily and cost-effectively." DOJ officials expressed support for certification of state building codes and indicated that they will work with the AIA to certify state codes.

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