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Fall 2009

Accessible Transportation Facility Design

Accessibility Services is part of an exciting initiative with SUNY Buffalo’s Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDeA) in regards to public transportation for people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has awarded researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and SUNY Buffalo the IDeA Center a $4.7 [...]

Fall 2009

Accessibility Should Not Be An Afterthought

Too often our staffs at Accessibility Services meet designers who are unfamiliar with the building blocks of good accessible design, and who produce work that fails to meet the minimum requirements for accessibility. To make matters even worse, our staff has found that accessibility often plays a very small role in the overall architecture process. [...]

Fall 2009

Access Required in Existing Buildings

During the International Code Council hearings in Baltimore on November 5, 2009, the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) Committee voted to require existing residential occupancies undergoing alterations to comply with the requirements of the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (FH Act) in the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) and IEBC.
The final action hearings for the next [...]

Fall 2009

Liability Under Fair Housing Act

In our summer issue we discussed liability of architects and contractors under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this issue we will discuss their liability under the federal Fair Housing Act (FH Act), 42 USC §3604 et seq.
Section 3604(f) of the FH Act prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of a dwelling and defines [...]

Fall 2009

Meet our Newest Team Member

Accessibility Services is proud to announce the addition of Craig Maniscalco to our staff.
Craig has been active in the process of architecture throughout his career. His latest success was seeing the completion of Citi Field, the new ballpark for the New York Mets. His work with Populous (formerly HOK Sport) included review of the [...]

Summer 2009

Meet the Newest Member of the Accessibility Services Team

Accessibility Services is proud to announce the addition of Jimmy J. Zuehl to the Accessibility Services staff.
Jimmy has been working in the field of architecture for over 10 years and has been active in the process of architecture throughout his career and has seen the completion of numerous projects, including projects in New York City. [...]

Summer 2009

Liability under the ADA – Architects & Contractors

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 USC 12181 et seq. prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in the design and construction of public accommodations and commercial facilities.
Examples of such facilities include sports arenas, stadiums, movie theaters, and hotels. The law clearly holds owners and operators of inaccessible facilities liable. This [...]

Summer 2009

Applying Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines to Existing Buildings to Reduce Accessibility Litigation

United Spinal has been working with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop a code proposal within the 2010 supplement to the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) to require dwelling units undergoing significant alterations to comply with the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines.

Summer 2009

Accessibility Services Provides Training Programs in the US Virgin Islands

May, 2009 – Accessibility Services staff recently had the opportunity to provide training programs on the Revised ADA Accessibility Guidelines and Self-Advocacy in the US Virgin Islands.
The programs were sponsored by the DBTAC-Northeast ADA Center and the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) at the University of the Virgin Islands. [...]

Summer 2009

Accessibility Services Staff Speak at US Department of Justice Multi-Family Housing Access Forum

On May 21, 2009, Accessibility Services staff participated in The Philadelphia Multi-Family Housing Access Forum, a nationwide program launched in the spring of 2005 by the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice.