36 CFR Parts 1190 and 1191 ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines - Preamble (Discussion of Comments and Changes)

Comment. The Board proposed covering facility alarm systems (other than fire alarm systems) that do not instruct occupants to evacuate the facility but provide other warning information, such as those used for tornado warnings and other emergencies. The proposed requirement (215.2 in the proposed rule) specified audible and visible signals but did not reference any specific technical criteria, including any addressing placement or photometric characteristics. Instead, the Board sought comment on what these characteristics should be, particularly where differentiation from fire alarm system signals is important (Question 9). Many commenters supported ensuring that such alarm systems are accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but no information was received on appropriate technical specifications for guidelines that are national in scope.

Response. The scoping requirement for other types of alarms has been removed in the final rule. The Board did not want to scope an element absent reliable technical specifications. The Board will consider bringing this matter to the attention of international model codes and standards organizations in the future.