Access Board News

The U.S. Access Board is the sole Federal agency responsible for enforcing the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA), which it accomplishes by investigating complaints filed by the public. The ABA requires buildings or facilities designed, built, altered, or leased by the Federal Government, as well as certain nongovernment buildings constructed with funds from a federal grant or loan . . .

The WCAG2ICT Group Note has been a key resource for including WCAG in ICT accessibility regulation, legislation, and other standards around the world. The updated WCAG2ICT now facilitates further adoption of WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 in non-web contexts.

On September 30, 2024, the ICT Testing Baseline Portfolio site published the new ICT Testing Baseline for Documents. This baseline establishes the minimum tests and evaluation guidance to determine if an electronic document meets Section 508 requirements. Federal agencies are encouraged to adopt this baseline when developing Section 508 conformance test processes for non-web electronic documents . . .

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 October 30 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. Members of the public may attend the meeting through the Zoom.gov platform or by phone (listen-only mode). Please note that . . .

On September 3, the U.S. Access Board published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) to specifically address the accessibility of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. This proposed rule provides specifications for the accessibility of EV charging stations, to include . . .

Throughout the month of August, the U.S. Access Board held a series of public hearings on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on people with disabilities. On August 8, two hearings (in the morning and afternoon) were held to hear from members of the disability community. Additionally, a panel of speakers delivered remarks on the risks, benefits, and potential of artificial intelligence with respect to accessibility . . .

On August 9, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule on the accessibility of medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This final rule establishes standards for MDE used by state and local government entities that are consistent with the standards issued by the Access Board on January 9, 2017. The rule adopts a 17 to 19-inch low transfer height for MDE used in the supine, prone, side-lying, and the seated position, although DOJ indicated a willingness to consider future rulemaking . . .

On July 25, the U.S. Access board issued a final rule specifying a low transfer height of 17 inches for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) used in the supine, prone, side-lying, and the seated position. The rule removes the sunset provisions in the Board's existing 2017 accessibility standards for MDE, which allowed for a low transfer height of between 17 and 19 inches. The final rule, which amends 36 CFR part 1195, is effective September 23, 2024 . . .

At its July meeting, the U.S. Access Board elected Katy Kale as its new Chair and Elver Ariza-Silva as its new Vice-Chair. Kale is the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) under the Biden-Harris Administration. Ariza-Silva is a disability community advocate based out of the District of Columbia. The Board approved both choices unanimously . . .

As part of the Developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Equity, Access & Inclusion for All Series, the Access Board is holding public hearings with members of the disability community, Federal Agency AI leaders, and AI practitioners. This series stems from the Board’s Memorandum of Understanding with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) . . .