March 15, 2011

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is making the adopted the 2004 ADAAG and added some new provisions which then became the 2010 Standards of Accessible Design . March 15, 2011 is when these new Standards become EFFECTIVE.

Design professionals and building owners can choose to design and build per the 1991 ADAAG or the 2010 Standards. 

• If you choose one of the guidelines to follow, you have to consistently use that guideline. You can't pick some rules from one and also the other.  
• In an alteration, you can decide to alter an element per the 2010 Standards without triggering everything else to be upgraded.  For example if you want to remodel a water closet in a restroom, and follow the 2010 guidelines, you don't have to make the entire bathroom follow the guidelines.


 March 15, 2012

The Department of Justice is making the 2010 Standards of Accessible Design  MANDATORY for all commercial facilities and places of public accommodations.

• If you apply for permit by March 15, 2012 you must use the 2010 Standards
• Existing buildings that are already meeting the 1991 ADAAG are considererd a "Safe Harbour".  This means that an existing building that has been compliant per the original guidelines does not have to be brought up to compliance until such time that it is altered.
• New scoped sections (like courtrooms and recreational facilities) are not a "safe harbour" because they were not part of the 1991 ADAAG and those will have to be brought up to compliance.  The DOJ will be helpful on how to do this.