The Department of Justice has released updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility regulations, which apply to commercial buildings and privately owned facilities opened to the public. In apartment properties, that generally includes leasing offices, parking areas, restrooms and entrances and routes to these public areas.
This is the first comprehensive revision since the ADA was passed two decades ago, and although many of the changes are substantial, most do not apply to apartments. Key changes include revised reach ranges and pathway running and cross slopes. A side reach range for environmental controls must now be no higher than 48 inches versus 54 inches in the 1991 standard. The lower reach range must now be no lower than 15 inches versus the previous 9 inches. Pathway running slopes are limited to 1:20 and cross slopes to 1:48 for walking surfaces. Both of these changes are consistent with design and construction elements of the Fair Housing Act and are therefore familiar to the industry.
For newly constructed properties or alterations, the DOJ regulations allow covered entities the choice of following the updated rules or the original standards during the first 18 months of implementation. After that, only the 2010 standard will be permitted. Properties built in accordance with the 1991 standards are not required to retrofit to the 2010 standards. NAA/NMHC will continue to analyze the new standards for apartment industry specific applications and update members as needed.
View the summary here: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/factsheets/title3_factsheet.html