"The Americans with Disabilities Act has different requirements for government facilities and buildings owned by private entities. Most architects know the accessible design standard for privately-owned buildings, but are not aware that there are different standrads for government facilities." 

In the Banker & Tradesman's April 28th Commercial Real Estate Monthly Section Katherine McGuinness' article Government Facilities Affected By Unusual ADA Requirements clarifies some common issues. If you would like to read Katie's article please download the article .pdf here.

Multi-Housing News published an article by David Kessler: Ensuring Accessibility: Multifamily Housing Developers Learn from FHA Litigation. It addresses several common design and construction mistakes seen in multi-housing developments. You are welcome to read and forward this article.

Here is a link to a recent New York Times article. Food critic Frank Bruni discovered that accessibility and hospitality are not always synonymous, and that access is more than a ramp and a bathroom with grab bars. His experiences are well-articulated.

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Throw away your outdated, 2003 guide, and replace it with the updated 2007 AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE to the AAB, ADAAG, and (new in this edition) FHA. At last, a single reference that tells you which accessible design standards apply to your project, and which are more stringent. No more leafing through three, large code references. You only need one – the 2007 AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE to the AAB, ADAAG, and FHA.

The 2007 AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE includes the complete text and illustrations of the Rules and Regulations of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (521 CMR). The guide incorporates federal accessible design guidelines when they are more stringent, including:

• Americans with Disabilities Act Accessible Design Standards – 1994 enforceable standards known as ADAAG
• Americans with Disabilities Act Accessible Design Guidelines – ADAAG amendments through 2002
• Federal Fair Housing Act Design Guidelines for multifamily housing

To get your 2007 AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE just download and complete our pdf order form.

With questions about your order, contact Julie Garland-Powers.

The Courthouse Access Advisory Committee issued its final report and recommendations – Justice For All: Designing Accessible Courthouses. Katherine McGuinness served as an active participant on this committee which met quarterly for two years (and has the plaque and mug to prove it!). The report includes recommendations for:

• Design solutions to meet minimum ABAAG and ADAAG standards
• Best practices for accessible courthouses
• Outreach and educational strategies for disseminating this information

You can find the report, free, at the Access Board’s website. Committee Members visited many courthouses nationwide, among them the John Adams Courthouse in Boston, MA. The recent renovations to this courthouse (CBT Architects, Inc.) demonstrated many of the report’s best practices for accessible design.

David Kessler was a speaker at the Universal Access in Travel Symposium sponsored by the American Association of Airport Executives and the Federal Aviation Administration. Equal Access to Information – DCARA vs. the City of San Francisco addresses the implications for other airports of the settlement agreement between Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency and San Francisco International Airport. The settlement includes SFO providing an additional 80 flat screen monitors, and including all types of PA announcements in a visual format. KMA was selected by both the plaintiffs and the defendant to serve as the "neutral consultant" to conduct fact finding and make recommendations to resolve the litigation. View the presentation “Equal Access to Information” (in pdf format - rotate clockwise using the icon on your toolbar for easier viewing).