Conventions Legend for the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design Pocket Guide

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are based on the Access Board’s July 23, 2004, ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines as amended by the Board on August 5, 2005 then adopted by the Department of Justice on July 26 / September 15, 2010 and subsequently updated as described below. This new Standard replaces the 1991 ADA Standards.

This Pocket Guide includes selected sections from the revised Title II and Title III regulations that are applicable to new construction and alterations that we at ETA believe are typically under the control or responsibility of a design professional, contractor, or facility manager. These selected sections are incorporated throughout this Pocket Guide and are highlighted in gray. Some definitions from Title II and Title III regulations have been included in this Pocket Guide and are double underlined wherever they appear. There are a few places where the requirements between the standards and the regulations differ. In these cases, the regulations prevail.

Hyperlinks are used throughout this publication to assist the reader in several ways. Internal hyperlinks point to other sections of the Pocket Guide or Safe Harbor references where applicable and are indicated by dark blue font. External hyperlinks point to more information to expand on particular sections and subjects, as well as other websites; these links are indicated by light blue font. The most frequent type of external hyperlink is indicated within brackets. These links point to www.Corada.com, the Comprehensive Online Resource for the ADA developed by Evan Terry Associates.  Each Corada “more info…” link offers significantly expanded information and resources relevant to the particular section you are reading. Please note that you will need Wi-Fi connectivity or a data plan and a compatible PDF reader to access external links from your mobile device.  We’ve had excellent success using Adobe’s Acrobat, Readers, and their DC app. Also, ezPDF Reader from the Apple App Store works well on iOS devices. We have found that most Kindle readers don’t allow live hyperlinks to function properly. We expect that some other PDF readers will also have difficulty with hyperlinks and we are testing now to determine which ones work best.  For up-to-date information on PDF reader software compatibility under various operating systems, you can go to www.ETAPocketGuides.com.

We have added over 225 references in this Pocket Guide to requirements that are potentially modified by the safe harbor provisions in the 2010 regulations that can be found at 35.150(b)(2), 35.151(b)(4)(ii)(C), 36.304(d)(2)(i) & (iii), the Appendix to 36.304(d)(2) [p. 15 Table], and 36.403(a)(2). These references are shown in bold italics within brackets (e.g. [S.H. 4.1.6(1)(i) ] ) at the end of the referenced section referring the reader to the comparable section of the 1991 ADA Standards. Each of these safe harbor references is hyperlinked to the referenced section from the 1991 Standards. This is NOT a comprehensive listing of the safe harbor sections that might apply to any existing element and the sections listed will not always apply to every existing element covered by the 2010 ADA safe harbor sections. Where a scoping requirement is the same as the 1991 ADA Standards and it “points to” a technical section that includes safe harbor references, we have not included those technical safe harbor references at the scoping section. We have applied the same approach to technical requirement sections that “point to” other technical requirements. Also, in the new sections of the 2010 ADA Standards (e.g., Chapter 10 Recreation Facilities, 807 Holding Cells and Housing Cells, 808 Courtrooms, and 809 Residential Dwelling Units), the safe harbors may apply when requirements in those sections “point to” another reference that has a safe harbor.  For your reference, the 1991 ADA Standards can be found in their entirety in the back of this PDF book.  The bottom of each page of the 1991 Standards includes the phrase “1991 ADA Standards: for Safe Harbor Reference”  to minimize the chance of mistaking these for the current Standards. As there are currently still some uncertainties about how to interpret and apply the safe harbor provisions, we have a dedicated website at www.ADASafeHarbor.com to provide additional information on the topic. You may also register online at www.ETAPocketGuides.com to be notified when you can purchase updated versions of this pdf book or a printed version of this Pocket Guide at a discount that will include additional clarifications of the safe harbor provisions as they become available.

It is important to note that, per Section 36.406(b) and 35.151(d), Scope of coverage, the 1991 Standards and the 2010 Standards apply to fixed or built-in elements of buildings, structures, site improvements, and pedestrian routes or vehicular ways located on a site. Unless specifically stated otherwise, advisory notes, appendix notes, and figures contained in the 1991 Standards and 2010 Standards explain or illustrate the requirements of the rule; they do not establish enforceable requirements.

Subpart F of the Title III regulations covers certification of equivalency for state standards. This section explains that equivalency granted to state codes under the 1991 ADA Standards is no longer in effect.

As with the current ADA regulations, design professionals are responsible for knowing the requirements of every section of the regulations that affect their projects. We have not attempted to include the sections from the regulations that cover employment, program access, readily achievable barrier removal, policies, procedures, contracts, communications, or operational requirements in this Pocket Guide.

Need more info? Watch the video: How to Use the ADA 2010 Standards Electronic Pocket Guide (5:50)