INTRODUCTION

This report represents the recommendations of the Passenger Vessel Access Advisory Committee (PVAAC) to the US Access Board. These recommendations will assist the Board in developing a rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act which will propose accessibility guidelines for the design, new construction and alteration of passenger vessels.

NOTE: Any proposed rule concerning passenger vessel access will be made through the federal rulemaking process. This report is not part of any rulemaking.

In developing this report, the committee primarily used as a guide the recommendations contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Review Advisory Committee report (ADAAG-R) which was developed to assist the Access Board in revising the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities. The PVAAC applied the recommendations in the ADAAG-R to passenger vessels and then modified those "building" provisions which were problematic when applied to vessels. The PVAAC was unable to evaluate all provisions in the ADAAG-R.

In order to focus its resources, the committee decided to provide access recommendations to the Board for passenger vessels which fall under subchapters K or H of the US Coast Guard regulations (see 46 CFR 70 - 80 and 114 - 122) and vessels subject to subchapters C or T (see 46 CFR 24 - 28 and 175 - 185) which are typically smaller vessels.

Advisory Committee Members:

• American Classic Voyages, Debra Contreras (Vice-Chair), Chicago, IL
• American Council of the Blind, Melanie Brunson, Washington, DC
• American Sail Training Association, Louis Linden, Baltimore, MD
• American Society of Travel Agents, Wayne Nelson, Alexandria, VA
• BB Riverboats, Alan Bernstein, Covington, KY
• Boston Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Stephen Spinetto (Chair), Boston, MA
• Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, Inc., Donald Backe, Annapolis, MD
• International Council of Cruise Lines, Ted Thompson, Washington, DC
• National Tour Association, Christopher Shepler, Mackinaw City, MI
• Paralyzed Veterans of America, Christine Griffin, Boston, MA
• Passenger Vessel Association, John Waterhouse, Seattle, WA
• Port of San Francisco, Richard Skaff, San Francisco, CA
• Princess Cruises, Janice Tuck, Los Angeles, CA
• Rhode Island Tourism Division, Robert Gearing, Providence, RI
• Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc., Susan Finisdore, Washington, DC
• Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped, Laurel Van Horn, New York, NY
• Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Jerry Kainulainen, Sitka, AK
• Southwest Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, Carri George, Houston, TX
• The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, David Chapman, Cape May, NJ
• Transportation Institute, Lawrence Evans, Camp Springs, MD
• Washington State Department of Transportation, Tyler Cassedy and David Humphreys, Seattle, WA

Individuals who actively participated in the committee process.

• David Alperin, Access Board staff
• Paul Beatty, Access Board staff, DFO
• Rose Marie Bunales, Access Board staff
• Rene Campeau, Canadian Transportation Agency
• Dennis Cannon, Access Board staff
• Carolyn Gray, Epstein, Becker, & Green
• Bob Herman, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Alternate
• Kevin Jensen, Port of San Francisco, Alternate
• June Kailes, Access Board member liaison
• LCDR Kevin Kiefer, US Coast Guard
• Peter Lauridsen, BB Riverboats, Alternate
• Allen Penn, US Coast Guard
• Beth Stewart, Access Board staff
• Ed Welch, Passenger Vessel Association, Alternate

Chapter 1