Guide to the ADA Standards

Detectable Warnings [§406.8 (DOT’s Standards), §705]

Detectable warnings are required on curb ramps at transit facilities covered by DOT’s Standards (facilities used by state and local governments to provide designated public transportation services, such as rail stations and bus stations). They are not required at non-transit facilities subject to DOJ’s Standards. DOT also requires detectable warnings on curb ramps in projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration. New guidelines the Board is developing for public rights-of-way will address requirements for detectable warnings at curb ramps and other transitions along public streets and sidewalks where hazards to people with vision impairments are greater.

Where detectable warnings are required (or provided anyway) they must meet specifications for size, spacing, and contrast. These detailed criteria provide a distinctive texture intended to have a uniform meaning in alerting persons to the approach to vehicular areas (as well as drop-offs along rail station platforms).

Detectable Warnings on Curb Ramps