On July 25, 2006 the US Access Board held public meetings as an initial step in upcoming efforts to update its ADA guidelines for transportation vehicles and to develop supplementary guidelines on communication access. The meetings provided an opportunity for interested parties to advise the Board on key issues or subjects that should be addressed in these initiatives.
Meeting on the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles
The Board’s guidelines for transportation vehicles covered by the ADA address buses, vans, various types of rail cars, and other modes of transportation. The Board plans to review these guidelines, which were published in 1991, and to propose any revisions or additions as necessary, including coverage of new or convergent technologies. Meeting participants included transportation providers, manufacturers, and representatives from disability groups and trade associations.Many comments called attention to the advances made in the design of mobility aids over the past 15 years, which have led to a wider array of manual and mechanized devices of varying sizes and capabilities. A growing number of mobility aids are larger and heavier than the standard manual wheelchair upon which many access specifications are based. The Board was urged to revise criteria in the guidelines so that access is ensured for a broader range of mobility aids now in use. Some commenters cautioned the Board about the potential impacts of such changes to the design of vehicles, particularly boarding devices, such as lifts, and seating space. This discussion also touched on accommodation of new mobility technologies, such as Segways, that have been developed for general use but are beneficial for some people with walking impairments.
Recommendations also addressed securement devices and restraint systems, the reliability and quality of on-board announcements of stops and other passenger information, signage, level boarding at rail cars, minimum gaps between vehicles and boarding platforms, industry standards for wheelchairs and mobility aids, coverage of new transportation technologies, such as bus rapid transit, and accessible restrooms on buses. The Board will hold another meeting on this topic during its September meeting in Las Vegas.
The meeting will be held September 12th from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30, with a reception to follow. In addition, the Board will hold a public meeting, similar to the one in July, on the update of its guidelines for transportation vehicles and will explore newer modes of transportation available in the area, including a bus rapid transit system, double-decker buses, and the city’s monorail. For further information on the meetings, contact Kathy Johnson of the Board at (202) 272-0041 (voice), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or johnson@access-board.gov (e-mail).
Access Currents
Volume 12, No.4 July/ August 2006