Synopsis of how public right-of-ways are covered by the ADA

Make Public Rights-of-Way Accessible to All Users: Americans with Disabilities Act

Access to civic life by people with disabilities is a fundamental goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA 1990). Public rights-of-way are covered by the ADA under title II, sub-part A.

Title II of the ADA requires State and local governments to make their programs and services accessible to persons with disabilities. Both ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard (UFAS) contain technical requirements for the construction of accessible exterior pedestrian routes that may be applied to the construction of public rights-of-way. In absence of a specific federal standard, public entities may also satisfy their obligation by complying with any applicable State or local law that establishes accessibility requirements for public rights-of-way that are equivalent to the level of access that would be achieved by complying with ADAAG or UFAS.