The new standards will replace the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards for these two agencies and will take effect in six months according to notices the agencies will be issuing. Similar action by two other agencies, the departments of Defense (DOD) and of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will update those standards covering the rest of the federal sector, specifically military facilities and HUD-funded housing.
This prompt action by GSA and the U.S. Postal Service will help ensure that the federal government serves as a model of accessibility, noted Board Chair Jan Tuck. Through its technical assistance and training programs, and its history of partnerships with other agencies, the Board stands ready to assist these agencies in implementing the standards. The Board has already helped train hundreds of facility personnel on the new standards at the U.S. Postal Service’s eight facility service offices across the country and at its headquarters.
In addition to the federal sector, the Board’s guidelines will also serve to update standards for facilities in the private sector and state and local government sectors covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Department of Justice and, in the case of transit facilities, the Department of Transportation, are responsible for updating the ADA standards.
