ADA Facilities Compliance Continuing Education Courses & Resources

ADA Facilities Compliance Continuing Education Courses & Resources

by Evan Terry Associates, P.C.

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Evan Terry Associates provides ADA Facilities Compliance training to architects, building owners, facility managers, and others who are interested in facilities accessibility. We have set up our training in a flexible modular format to accommodate your interests and time requirements. We’ve provided typical one day formats as suggestions, but will work with you to create any combination of modules appropriate for your needs and can put together additional topics to address special needs if requested. Call us to discuss your options.

Typical Day One - Basic Facilities Requirements

Why ADA? (15 minutes)*

You will learn some of the demographics and history behind the passage of this pervasive law.

What is ADA? (30 minutes)

This section will give you an overview of the Law including effective dates, regulations, design standards, enforcement and exemptions.

Title II and Title III Responsibilities (45 - 75 minutes)

You will review key definitions such as public accommodation, commercial facility and disability. Mandates for Public Entities (Title II) and/or mandates for Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities (Title III) will be discussed as will basic facilities compliance requirements and key supporting concepts.

ADA Design Standards (ADAAG) (2 - 3 hours)

This graphic and photographic tour of the ADAAG includes, if requested, its relationship to ANSI A117.1 and UFAS, scoping issues, the “accessible” route concept, site concerns, building approach, interior and exterior concerns, special occupancy requirements, emergency egress, if requested, and coordination with other building codes.

Facilities Compliance Survey (2 - 3 hours)

For this session, participants are divided into teams of 4-8 people to actually perform ADA Facilities Compliance Surveys and Analysis on a nearby facility. One team may study the parking lot while another reviews the toilets and another looks at the telephones to locate barriers to people with disabilities. After completing the survey and analysis, each team presents their interpretations and recommendations to the group for discussion.

Compliance Strategies (30 - 60 minutes)

Strategy suggestions, self-evaluation and transition plans, leases and contracts, barrier removal, alterations, and suggestions for new construction will be some of the topics you will hear in this section.

Typical Day - Advanced Training

Pick-A-Disability Exercise (45 - 60 minutes)

This interactive exercise from the highly acclaimed “Windmills” program starts the day on an upbeat note by looking at how people view various disabilities. You will learn about perceptions and presumptions and how they affect you and 43 million others. Finally, “Pick-A-Disability” uncovers and analyzes the biggest barriers of all to people with disabilities.

ADA Facilities Compliance Surveys - (How much detail is needed?) (30 - 75 minutes)

A look at the variety of options to consider in facility surveys for barriers to people with disabilities. This session covers everything from the tradeoff between speed and thoroughness to the use of photographs, field computers, checklists and tricks for surveying accurately at high speed. You will learn how to decide when it is best to use trained and skilled surveyors and when you can use unskilled people to complete the task. You will review preplanning necessities, developing alternative solutions, priority-setting in the field and the role of the facility manager during the survey.

ADA Facility Compliance Reports and Databases (30 - 75 minutes)

Well-prepared reports are the critical link between field conditions and access decision-makers. In this section, you will learn when it is best to produce a hardcopy report and when to output to a computer database. You will see a full function database viewer in operation and learn what information is most useful during the barrier removal process. You’ll learn how to phase the work and when to prepare cost estimates of options for barrier removal being considered. The instructor will also discuss key considerations in the development of reports to maximize their usefulness in capital planning, budgeting, construction management, and facility management.

Budgeting for Surveys and Reports (15 minutes)

You will hear how facility surveyors around the country are currently charging for their services. You'll learn the many factors affecting the cost of surveying and reports, when it is smart to hire an experienced consultant and when it makes sense to “do your own.”

Barrier Removal Strategies (20 - 60 minutes)

Reviews some of the administrative methods now in use to coordinate the “good faith efforts” of various organizations around the country. This includes a discussion of priority setting and phasing techniques, evacuation planning, maintenance, and documentation of compliance efforts and database updating for continued use.

Liabilities under the ADA (15 - 30 minutes)

The ADA is a civil rights act, not a building code, therefore, liabilities are often misunderstood by building owners and designers. This session focuses on new liabilities for facility owners, landlords, tenants, ADA consultants, facility designers, and those who specify products for compliance. Practical advice is provided to help reduce those liabilities.

Flexible (Vague) Areas in the Regulations and ADAAG (30 - 240 minutes)

A significant number of areas of application are still uncertain. Our instructors will give you the benefit of their insights gained from thousands of hours of studying, discussing and teaching this pervasive law. Participants will select the topics.

Typical Day - Public Entities: (State and Local Governmental Entities)

Overview of Title II Requirements (1 - 2 hours)

Responsibilities for Governmental bodies, agencies and those who receive “significant assistance” from such entities must achieve the highest standard of accessibility: “program access” to existing services. This session reviews the broad scope of that requirement (with the exception of transportation routes and vehicles) as listed in Title II.

Communication Barriers to people with Visual Impairments (30 - 60 minutes)

Communication is a critical responsibility mandated by Title II. This session looks at the diversified needs of individuals who have difficulty with visually presented materials.

Communication Barriers to people with Speech or Hearing Impairments (30 - 60 minutes)

Communications must be “as effective” for those with disabilities as for others. For individuals with speech or hearing disabilities, this is a new guarantee of freedom. You will learn the breadth of what that new freedom requires from governmental entities and what their special needs are in this session.

Self-Evaluations and Transition Plans (3 - 5 hours)

Perhaps the least understood of all requirements of the ADA is the responsibility of all state and local governmental entities to prepare self-evaluations and, in most cases, transition plans. This section reviews those requirements and the few exceptions to the requirement for removing barriers. After reviewing the basic responsibilities, participants are divided into small teams to examine typical barriers found in public entities. Each team will review and propose a solution to their barrier for the entire class to discuss. A broad spectrum of barriers including those found in communications, transportation, security, facilities, publications, housing, contracts and others are examples used in this enlightening exercise. A detailed handout is provided for your use in developing your own self-evaluation.

ADAAG or UFAS – Which Standard to Choose? (15 minutes)

This short session reviews the key differences between the two options currently available to public entities as their design standard. A detailed written comparison complements the review. What does the future hold for UFAS and ADAAG? Public entities will want to base their selection, not only on the differences between the two, but also on their probable changes during the coming months.

Preparing RFP'S for ADA Facilities Consulting or Surveying Services (15 minutes)

Many public entities decide to request the assistance of design professionals or disability specialists in preparing their self-evaluations and transition plans. This session reviews the key elements of a well-prepared Request for Proposal for such services. You will learn how to ask for exactly the services you want and how to minimize assumptions and omissions by your proposers.

Flexible (Vague) Areas in the Regulations and Design Standards (30 - 240 minutes)

A significant number of areas of application are still uncertain. Our instructors will give you the benefit of their insights gained from thousands of hours of studying, discussing and teaching this pervasive law. Participants will select the topics.

Additional Training Modules (Call ETA for details)

• How Does ADAAG compare to ANSI A117.1-1992? (30 - 120 minutes)

• How Does ADAAG compare to ANSI A117.1-1998? (30 - 120 minutes)

• Proposed New ADA Sections for Public Entities (Interim Final Guidelines) (80 - 120 minutes)

• Proposed Changes to ADAAG Requirements (10 - 90 minutes)

• Comparing a State or Local Standard to ADAAG (15 - 60 minutes) - Available for: California, Texas, Florida, Oregon, New Mexico, Washington, and ANSI A117.1-1992

• Current Enforcement of ADA Facilities & Program Access Requirements (15 - 120 minutes)

• Compliance Strategy Options - How to Decide What is Right for Your Organization (30 - 90 minutes)

• Walking Tour of Your Facilities to Discuss Barriers (1 - 3 hours)

• Photo Tour of Your Facilities' Barriers (varies)

• Program Access - How Broad is the Definition and How Can it be Achieved Without Spending a Fortune(1-2 hours)

• Funding Barrier Removal Programs (10 - 60 minutes)

• Barrier Removal Management Systems, Databases and Other Systems (15 - 120 minutes)

• Resources for Additional Information (5 - 30 minutes)

• Hands on Training for Facility Surveyors (1 - 3 days)

• Plan Reviews for ADAAG Compliance - A Group Exercise (1 - 4 hours)

• Products for Facility Compliance (15 - 120 minutes)

• Current Most Common Design Errors Under ADAAG (30 - 120 minutes)

• Current Most Common Construction Errors Under ADAAG (30 - 120 minutes)

• Maintenance Responsibility Under the ADA (15 - 90 minutes)

• Using The ADA Design Assistant® Software (20 - 120 minutes)

• Designing Accessible Children’s Facilities (15 - 60 minutes)

• Designing Accessible Toilet Rooms (may include state requirements, if requested) (15 - 45 minutes)

• Areas of Rescue Assistance - Design Options and Requirements (15 - 30 minutes)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Medical Care Facilities (30 - 240 minutes)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Educational Facilities (30 - 240 minutes)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Higher Education Facilities (2 - 8 hours)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Hospitality Facilities (Restaurants, Lodging) (30 - 240 minutes

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Commercial Facilities (Offices, Industrial/Warehouses) (15 - 120 minutes)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Banking Facilities (2 - 8 hours)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Airport Facilities (30 - 240 minutes)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Sports Facilities (1 - 8 hours)

• Designing and/or Managing Accessible Large Assembly Facilities (1 - 8 hours)

James L.E. Terry, A.I.A.

Principal Trainer

Mr. Terry received his B. S. in Architecture from the University of Southern California and his Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. His architectural project experience includes healthcare, libraries, educational, corporate, municipal, and recreational facilities.

As a specialist in ADA and accessible design, Mr. Terry has presented over 100 programs to building owners, managers, and designers working with both public entities and private corporations. Mr. Terry teaches an annual three-day seminar on accessibility issues at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He has led the writing of several books on access standards and ADA Facilities Compliance, led the ADA revision of Architectural Graphic Standards 9th Edition, initiated the development of software to assist design professionals in complying with the ADA and in developing database systems for tracking ADA compliance, assisted clients in evaluating their facilities and training personnel, and provided plan reviews for new construction and alteration projects.

Some past and current clients include Bank of America, CITIBANK, Delta Air Lines, IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Chick-Fil-A, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurants, Stanford University, ATBCB, U.S. Department of Justice, Congressional Office of Compliance, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and numerous school districts, hospitals and university systems.

^{* Time frames are optional within ranges based on client needs.}