Under title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department
of Justice permits states to choose between UFAS and ADAAG as their
accessibility standard. Which states have adopted UFAS as their
accessibility standard?

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 27 Jun 2005 17:52 PDT

ufas1-ga,

I have found a listing of state accessibility standards.  

Only two states appear to have incorporated UFAS, and these only in
part.  Nine states specifically refer to ADAAG in their standards.

The remaining states appear to have created their own applicable
standards, presumably equivalent to or exceeding the federal
standards.

Would a pointer to this information, and information about the two
UFAS states, meet your needs as an answer to your question?

Let me know.

pafalafa-ga

Hello, ufas1-ga! 

 According to the "State Code Contact List" which is maintained and
frequently updated by the United States Access Board, there are only
two states which currently reference UFAS guidelines in their building
access codes.

They are Kansas and Virginia.

The State Code Contact List includes the current code information for
each state and the contact information for the relevant agency. If you
want to keep updated on potential state access code changes over time,
this site would be the place to look.


The following excerpts for Kansas and Virginia are from the list:
http://www.access-board.gov/links/statecodes.htm



KANSAS
=======
"Accessibility Code Kansas Article 13, Sections 58-1301 to 58-1308
references ADAAG and UFAS."



VIRGINIA
=========
"Accessibility Code For State owned Buildings: Chapter VII of the
Capital Outlay Manual (12/90 ed) ref. UFAS. For Publically owned or
buildings: Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code Vol. 1 - New
Construction Code (1990 revisions) references ANSI A117.1 - 1986."




ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
**********************


Kansas
--------

The following excerpt is taken from a January 2005 document from the
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, titled "Architectural Procedures
and Minimum Development Standards for Residential Construction
http://www.kshousingcorp.org/display/files/HTC_Arch_Stand.pdf

Minimum Development Standards: (Page 18)

B. Accessibility - For any building with four or more units, all
ground floor units and all units in buildings with elevators must
comply with the Fair Housing Act and ANSI; UFAS applies if federal
money is involved."



Virginia
---------

UFAS compliance standards are mentioned in the "Construction and
Professional Services Manual - 2004. Chapter 12: Building Official
Reviews, Permits and Approvals.
http://bcom.dgs.virginia.gov/Documents/2004_CPSM_Chapter_12_July_2004.pdf


Industrialized Buildings without a Virginia Registration Seal

3) "Building shall be inspected by a Virginia licensed architect or
engineer for compliance with the VUSBC, CPSM and UFAS and a statement
with seal, signature, and date, stating that the building conforms to
these requirements.

=

Another reference which mentions adoption of the USAF guidelines is
the George Mason University Design Information Manual for architects
and engineers concerned with renovation of the university facilities.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/facilities/physicalplant/design_info_manual.pdf

Concerning Barrier Free Design (page 19):

"All designs for new construction and renovation to existing
facilities shall be designed and constructed in such a manner that the
new or renovated facility is readily accessible to and usable by
individuals with disabilities consistent with all applicable state and
federal mandates. Specifically, design and constructions shall be done
in compliance with the following:

a. The Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.....


===


For a basic overview of how the ADA standards apply to Residential
constructions, see "ACCESSIBILITY LAWS AND REGULATIONS -- RESIDENTIAL"
on the ToolbaseServices website:
http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?TrackID=0&CategoryID=1864&DocumentID=1933

"Application of Requirements - Federally funded residential projects
are subject to 504, which requires the application of the Uniform
Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). State or local government
funded residential projects are subject to the ADA and must apply the
ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and UFAS. Certain private and
public housing projects (apartment, condominium, and some townhouses)
may be subject to Fair Housing, which calls for the application of the
Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (FHAG). Some projects may be
subject to 504, the ADA, and Fair Housing. All residential projects
are subject to the general provisions of the Fair Housing Act,
including the requirements for "Reasonable Accommodations" and
"Reasonable Modifications."

"Because there may be multiple standards and codes that affect how a
house is designed, it is important to determine what standards and
regulations may affect a property at the beginning of the design
process. These standards and codes may conflict, and the local code
officials should determine what is acceptable in their jurisdiction."


===


 If you want to keep current on accessability issues, you might want
to check the United States Access Board Home page from time to time.
The site has a good deal of useful information.
http://www.access-board.gov/
 

Sincerely,

umiat

Search Strategy

UFAS
State adoption of UFAS
state accessibility access code list
state compliance with disability act
Kansas building code and UFAS
Accessibility Code Kansas
Virginia AND capital outlay manual AND UFAS