2019 California Standards for Accessible Design Guide (effective January 1, 2020 with July 1, 2021 amendments)

Intent

This Guide is intended as a resource for understanding accessibility requirements in California that are essentially architectural, including related communication elements. Its primary focus is 2019 California Building Code (2019 CBC) Chapter 11B - Accessibility to Public Buildings, Public Accommodations, Commercial Buildings and Public Housing, but it includes and compares requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act Title II (Standards for State and Local Government Facilities), Title III (Standards for Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities) and the 2004 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, collectively known as the "2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design" (2010 ADA Standards).

This Guide includes Advisories from the State of California Division of the State Architect - Access Compliance (DSA-AC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Access Board. Extensive use has been made by Evan Terry Associates (ETA) of "ETA Editor's Notes" for clarification, and of hyperlinks for internal cross-referencing and access to external materials and information. Lastly, it includes references to the 2016 California Building Code (2016 CBC) that may represent "Safe Harbors" for existing elements -- see subsequent discussion.

This Guide does not attempt to cover housing accessibility requirements comprehensively. It includes 2019 CBC Chapter 11A - Housing Accessibility requirements only to the extent that these have been adopted by DSA-AC for applicability to Public Housing. Requirements of the Fair Housing Act are not included.

This Guide does not include requirements from ADA Title I (Employment), Title IV (Telecommunications), Title V (Miscellaneous Provisions), requirements that differ from 2010 ADA Standards incorporated into the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). It also does not address accessibility provisions that are non-architectural, such as policies and procedures, employee training, public transportation vehicles, auxiliary aids and services, publications or websites.