Accelerating Progress through Global Standards, Systems, and Tools David Capozzi, Executive Director U.S. Access Board

Built Environment Standards 1961 ANSI A117.1 was the first accessibility standard in the U.S. It contained 6 pages of requirements and 2 figures

Built Environment Standards The current ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines contains 289 pages of requirements and 139 figures

Built Environment Standards ISO-21542: 2011 specifies requirements for the built environment including circulation, egress, and evacuation from buildings in the event of an emergency

Built Environment: Progress Since the first accessibility standard in 1961 – we have seen the widespread installation of curb ramps; showers; hi-lo drinking fountains; playgrounds; and accessible technology and communication devices

Built Environment: Progress Kalamazoo, MI – 1945: curb ramps constructed at the corners of three or four blocks by WWII veterans Urbana, IL – 1952: curb ramps for students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Berkeley, CA – 1972: first curb ramp in the city

Built Environment: Progress

September 1969: America's first ATM at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, NY Today, there are almost 2 million ATMs around the world

Built Environment: Progress May 1964, Robert Weitbrecht and James Marsters made the first long distance TTY phone call on a traditional telephone line

Information and Communication Technology Standards Congress first added section 508 to the Rehabilitation Act in 1986 In October 1987, the Department of Education and GSA issued guidelines with functional performance specifications for input, output, and documentation access to electronic office equipment Although several agencies began to comply with the guidelines, application was inconsistent; the lack of an enforcement mechanism in the original legislation led to the 1998 expansion of section 508

Information and Communication Technology Standards

Information and Communication Technology: Progress The Macintosh: 1984, the first commercially successful product to use a graphical user interface (GUI) Windows 3.0: 1990, popularity of the GUI exploded IBM Screen Reader/2: 1992, offers blind users access to IBM OS/2’s graphical user interface

Information and Communication Technology: Progress

Mobility Devices: Progress 24 interrelated voluntary industry standards for mobility aids; harmonized world-wide through the ISO

Transportation Standards September 6, 1991: Access Board publishes the original ADAAG for Transportation Vehicles September 28, 1998: Board issues final rule for over-the-road buses

Transportation: Progress Walter Callow, a Canadian blind, quadriplegic veteran, invented the first wheelchair- accessible bus in : first wheelchair accessible fixed route bus system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Transportation: Progress

In 1979, Seattle Metro ordered Flyer coaches with some of the first wheelchair lifts in the nation Since 2003 all new Metro buses have been low-floor

Tools technical assistance, training, webinars

Systems: Symbols of Access The International Symbol of Access (ISA) was designed by Susanne Koefoed in 1968 It was modified by Karl Montan by adding a circle to the top of the seated figure, thus giving it a head

Systems: Symbols of Access

Systems Lawsuits against large chains of businesses have resulted in agreements to make improvements in building access in thousands of places across the country DOJ’s Project Civic Access has resulted in numerous cities and localities improving their facilities

Systems Texas: Texas Accessibility Academy – 3-day study of the Texas Architectural Barriers Act and the 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards – Registered Accessibility Specialists review construction documents for accessible design – all commercial construction over $50,000

Systems California: CASp Program – voluntary Certified Access Specialist Program – State certifies any person who meets specified criteria as a Certified Access Specialist – experienced, trained, and tested individuals who inspect buildings and sites for compliance with state and federal construction-related accessibility standards

Systems Civil Disobedience: ADAPT got its start at the Atlantis Community in Denver, CO, in 1983

Systems Implementation of laws and standards – Effects of the ADA on percentage of accessible vehicles by mode YearBusCommuter RailHeavy RailLight RailTrolleybus

Systems Implementation of laws and standards – Effects of the ADA on numbers of accessible stations by mode ModeADA AccessibleNon-ADA Accessible Bus3,6941, Commuter Rail Heavy Rail Light Rail Trolleybus5500

Systems However, problems persist in compliance with other ADA requirements, such as maintaining lifts and ramps and announcing transit stops As of October 2008, 48 of Amtrak’s 481 stations are fully compliant with the ADA