Access Board News

The U.S. Access Board has extended its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for 30 days. The NPRM addresses one provision on the low transfer surface height for certain types of MDE used by patients in a supine, prone, side-lying, or seated position. Public comments for the NPRM are due by August 31, 2023. The MDE Accessibility Standards require . . .

On the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new rule which requires airline lavatories to be more accessible. This rulemaking, authorized by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), would require airlines to make lavatories . . .

Available now and hosted by the U.S. Access Board, the Best Practices for the Design of Accessible COVID-19 Home Tests document aims to ensure that more people can access and use COVID-19 home tests, including those who are blind or have low vision, limited dexterity or fine motor skills, and the aging population. This comprehensive Best Practices document details . . .

Yesterday, the U.S. Access Board held its 2023 town hall meeting at the national headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in Baltimore, MD. Eleven presidentially appointed Public Board Members were present, as well as Federal Member and Board Vice-Chair Katy Kale, Deputy Administrator at the General Services Administration (GSA), and . . .

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our nation’s first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities that impacts millions of Americans. The ADA bans discrimination based on disability in the private sector and the state and local government sectors and requires access for all Americans to programs and services, facilities, transportation, employment, and communication. The U.S. Access Board celebrates the ADA, which extended the Board's mission to . . .

Yesterday, U.S. Access Board members and staff visited Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) Adaptive Boating Center in Annapolis, MD to learn about CRAB’s new accessible boathouse and marina and adaptive boating program for people with disabilities. Over the last five years, CRAB consulted with several organizations, including the Board and its Accessibility Specialists who provided technical assistance in the accessible design of the facility. With its grand opening on May 2 of this year, the Center offers . . .

With deep sorrow, the U.S. Access Board announces the passing of former Board Member Carl Lewis. Appointed to the Board in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, Lewis used his tenure with the agency to advance its mission and was a key contributor to revising and updating . . .

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity will provide a virtual training on the design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) on June 27, 2023 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (ET). This session will address . . .

Members of the public are welcome to virtually attend the U.S. Access Board’s in-person public town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 25 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. (ET) at the national headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland. To ensure all can participate, the town hall meeting will be broadcast live via Zoom for . . .

Medical diagnostic care is essential to everyone, including people with disabilities, and often requires people to transfer onto diagnostic equipment, such as examination tables and chairs, for evaluation. Historically, medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) has been, and continues to be, inaccessible to many people in wheelchairs, which can lead to misdiagnosis or barriers to basic care and examinations. The U.S. Access Board has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment regarding . . .