Access Board Resolves 48 Architectural Barriers Act Cases Through Corrective Action in FY 2019

The Access Board was created in part to enforce the first federal law to address accessibility, the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. This law requires access to buildings or facilities that were designed, built, or altered with federal dollars or leased by federal agencies. The Board also maintains the guidelines upon which the ABA Standards are based.

With passage of other laws, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Board’s mission has expanded significantly. It is now responsible for developing and keeping up to date accessibility requirements for the wide array of facilities covered by the ADA, as well as for transportation vehicles and systems. It also issues standards for information and communication technology and for medical diagnostic equipment.

Despite these other duties, the Board continues the important work of enforcing the ABA. We do this through the investigation of complaints from the public. Filing a complaint with the Board is easy to do and can be done through an online form. Complaints should include the name and address of the facility and a brief description of the access barriers or issues. Complaints can be filed anonymously.

The first step of an investigation is to determine whether the facility at issue is covered by the ABA. If so, the next step is to determine whether the facility meets the applicable accessibility standard. If the facility is not subject to the ABA or if it meets the appropriate accessibility standard, the Board will advise the complainant of its findings. Some facilities are not covered by the ABA but by other laws such as the ADA, which is enforced by other agencies and the courts.

If the facility does not meet the applicable standard, the Board will work with the responsible entities to develop a plan to bring the facility into compliance. Complaints are typically resolved amicably with the responsible agencies or departments. Cases remain open until all necessary corrective action is completed. In FY 2019, the Board resolved 48 cases through corrective action.

ABA Cases Resolved Through Corrective Action

(October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019)

U.S. Postal Facilities

• U.S. Post Office (Birmingham, Alabama): The Postal Service made alterations to the accessible parking spaces and curb ramp to bring those elements into compliance.
• U.S. Post Office (Sparks Glencoe, Maryland): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Stuart, Florida): The Postal Service installed a required van accessible customer parking space and ensured that the route leading to the accessible entrance complied with the standards.
• U.S. Post Office (Brooksville, Florida): The Postal Service installed a required van accessible customer parking space.
• U.S. Post Office (Catonsville, Maryland): The Postal Service installed a required van accessible customer parking space.
• U.S. Post Office (Portland, Oregon): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closer on a customer entrance door to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the door.
• U.S. Post Office (Kenwood, California): The Postal Service took corrective action to replace a broken handle on the customer entrance door and correct an issue with the swing of the door.
• U.S. Post Office (Springboro, Ohio): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Longview, Texas): The Postal Service installed two curb ramps and made alterations to the accessible parking spaces to bring them into compliance.
• U.S. Post Office (Naperville, Illinois): The Postal Service resurfaced and restriped the customer and employee parking lots and installed the minimum required number of accessible parking spaces (with conforming signage and access aisles).
• U.S. Post Office (Council Grove, Kansas): The Postal Service installed signage indicating the location of the accessible entrance and ramp leading to it.
• U.S. Post Office (Old Saybrook, Connecticut): The Postal Service installed signage to prevent vehicles from parking in and blocking an accessible route leading to the facility entrance.
• U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center (Dulles, Virginia): The Postal Service took voluntary corrective action to move construction equipment that was impeding access to accessible employee parking spaces.
• U.S. Post Office (Ketchikan, Alaska): The Postal Service took corrective action to replace the existing double-leaf exterior entrance doors with an accessible single-leaf door, remove the change in level at the threshold of the exterior entrance door, and replace the existing automatic door openers for both the interior and exterior entrance doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Forest City, North Carolina): The Postal Service took corrective action to move the existing accessible parking space to a location adjacent to the entrance, and to install an associated curb ramp.
• U.S. Post Office (Topeka, Kansas): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the existing automatic doors at the customer entrance.
• U.S. Post Office (Ephrata, Washington): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Jamestown, North Dakota): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Federal Way, Washington): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Racine, Wisconsin): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Douglas, Georgia): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Albuquerque, New Mexico): The Postal Service took corrective action to install three accessible parking spaces in the facility’s parking lot.
• U.S. Post Office (Kingman, Arizona): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Florence, Colorado): The Postal Service took corrective action to install directional signage indicating the location of the accessible entrance.
• U.S. Post Office (Gulfport, Mississippi): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Imperial Beach, California): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Covington, Kentucky): The Postal Service took corrective action to repair the automatic door opener on the customer entrance door.
• U.S. Post Office (Dongola, Illinois): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Lebanon, Indiana): The Postal Service took corrective action to adjust, repair, or replace the door closers on the customer entrance doors to lessen (and bring into compliance) the force needed to manually open the doors.
• U.S. Post Office (Horsepen, Virginia): The Postal Service took corrective action to install a ramp to the customer entrance and a van accessible parking space in the facility’s parking lot.
• U.S. Post Office (Lyons, Georgia): The Postal Service took corrective action to install an accessible rear entrance ramp, directional signage, and a van accessible parking space.
• U.S. Post Office (Lincoln, Illinois): The Postal Service installed improved directional signage.
• U.S. Post Office (Elgin, Texas): The Postal Service took corrective action to install an accessible rear entrance ramp, along with directional signage.

Military and Veterans Affairs Facilities

• Edwards Air Force Base (Edwards, California): The Department of the Air Force took corrective action to remove a barrier in the accessible route from a building’s entrance to its adjacent parking lot.
• William Beaumont Army Medical Center (El Paso, Texas): The Department of the Army took corrective action to install handrails on a ramp serving the interior of the building, to remedy several deficiencies in the exterior entrance ramp, and to repair damaged walkways leading to the building.
• Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Hawaii): The Department of the Navy, in an effort to provide an alternative means for visitors to reach the facility’s gymnasium (which already had an existing accessible entrance), voluntarily installed a chair lift at one set of stairs.
• Greenville VA Health Care Center (Greenville, North Carolina): The Department of Veterans Affairs installed 13 additional accessible parking spaces (for a total of 23, which is the requirement for patient and visitor parking at this outpatient medical facility) in the patient/visitor parking lot.
• Greenville VA Health Care Center (Greenville, North Carolina): The Department of Veterans Affairs installed 5 additional accessible parking spaces in the employee parking lot.

Parks and Historic Sites

• Canyon Lake Dam (Canyon Lake, Texas): The Access Board’s investigation focused on the lack of accessible pedestrian gates leading to the road that runs atop the length of the dam – a road which is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers but has served as a valuable recreational resource for decades. A grassroots campaign known as the Dam Community Alliance – in cooperation with other local organizations – raised funds for the purchase and installation of accessible gates and other safety features. For more information on this case, click here.
• Holly Creek Marina (Celina, Tennessee): The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the close cooperation of the concessionaire operating this marina on Dale Hollow Lake, corrected deficiencies in the main gangway connecting the main floating dock to the lakeshore, and remediated non-conforming changes of level at the connections between floating docks leading to the Marina’s store and boat slips.

Social Security Administration Offices

• Social Security Administration (Petersburg, Virginia): The lessor, with the support of the General Services Administration (GSA) and Social Security Administration (SSA), took corrective action to install three new, compliant van accessible parking spaces (with associated signage, access aisles, and curb ramp) on the shortest accessible route to the building entrance.
• Social Security Administration (Suffolk, Virginia): The Social Security Administration took corrective action to install one new van-accessible parking space and one new regular accessible parking space (with associated signage, access aisle, and curb ramp) directly adjacent to the building entrance, and to move the button for the automatic entrance doors to a more accessible location.
• Social Security Administration (Vicksburg, Mississippi): The lessor, with the support of GSA and SSA, took corrective action to install compliant signage for the accessible parking spaces.
• Social Security Administration (Vicksburg, Mississippi): The lessor, with the support of GSA and SSA, took corrective action to resolve a second complaint concerning signage for the accessible parking spaces.
• Social Security Administration (Athens, Georgia): The General Services Administration (GSA) took corrective action to repair (and bring into compliance) an inaccessible walkway by replacing uneven brick pavers with a firm and stable concrete surface.

Other Facilities

• Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Court House (Chattanooga, Tennessee): The General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, in consultation with GSA’s Historic Buildings Program, undertook a major project to install a new compliant ramp at one of the main entrances to the historic building. In addition, GSA enlarged the entrance doorway and vestibule and installed a new automatic door opener. For more information on this case, click here.
• United States Bureau of Reclamation (Bend, Oregon): The Department of the Interior took corrective action (including some voluntary corrective action) to improve the accessibility of two employee toilet rooms through alterations to door hardware and the placement of dispensers and signage.