ADA Self-Assessment & Transition Plan
ABOUT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.” Learn more at www.ADA.gov.
HOW IS OCPC INVOLVED?
Municipalities hire OCPC to assist in developing an ADA Transition Plan. ADA Transition Plans are a mandatory document for state and local government (with 50+ employees) and are an agency’s commitment to removing barriers and making their programs, services, and facilities accessible to all users. ADA Transition Plans benefit both the agencies and the public.
WHAT MAKES UP AN ADA TRANSITION PLAN?
ADA Transition Plans help agencies to plan and budget over time and allow members of the public, including individuals with disabilities, to provide input on areas of need, anticipate when facilities will be improved, and track the improvements.
The ADA contains specific requirements for state and local governments to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. Learn about these requirements in the State and Local Government Primer.
Examples of state and local government activities include:
- Public education
- Transportation
- Recreation
- Healthcare
- Social Services
- Courts
- Voting
- Emergency Services
- Town Meetings
ADA TRANSITION PLAN KEY FEATURES
Responsible Official
Identification of a responsible official with decision making authority and who can be held accountable for the plan’s implementation.
Identification of Barriers
Identification of barriers through Title II agency’s evaluation of their programs, services, and facilities to see where people with disabilities might have trouble accessing them.
Schedule of Removing Barriers
A schedule of removing barriers, an important part of the plan implementation and which may change over time due to availability of resources.
Description of Methods
Description of methods, including the resources used to determine accessible design, such as the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design or the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines ; and the operational ways the barriers will be removed.
RESOURCES:
The Americans with Disabilities Act provides an important tool to fight discrimination: filing a complaint with an appropriate federal agency.
Learn More at ada.gov/file-a-complaint/
State and federal regulations apply to state facilities differently. Even when building code requires only minimal improvements to the building, longstanding ADA obligations to provide program access must be considered in the scope of a project.
If you are a designer or contractor on a DCAMM-funded project, the Statewide Accessibility Initiative is available to work with you to achieve full accessibility compliance.
Review for compliance is done for the following:
- Study and code review
- All design phases
- Construction
Learn more at mass.gov/info-details/accessibility-requirements-for-state-facilities
It is mandated that all commercial use public buildings and privately-owned facilities constructed after January 1993 “readily accessible to and usable by” by individuals with disabilities.
Learn more at ada.gov/law-and-regs-regulations-title-iii-regulations
