ADA Title II Action Guide for State and Local Governments

Do all state and local buildings need to be accessible (comply with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design?)

Not necessarily. New construction and alterations need to meet the Standards, but for facilities built before the ADA went into effect on January 26, 1992, the focus is on making sure people with disabilities have equal access to programs, services and activities. Sometimes this can be accomplished through non-structural methods. In a two story town hall built in 1968 that doesn’t have an elevator, staff on the second floor could meet with citizens on the first floor if meeting space is comparable to that on the second floor in terms of privacy, comfort, etc.