USAID Policy on Standards for Accessibility for the Disabled in USAID-Financed Construction
I. Introduction
This guidance provides standards for any new or renovation construction project funded by
USAID to allow access by people with disabilities (PWDs). The use of these standards is required in all
USAID acquisition and assistance for construction and alteration. This guidance includes a provision for a
waiver of the application of standards in certain circumstances.
The Agency recognizes the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 10 percent of the
people in the world live with a disability. An estimated 80 percent of these people live in developing
countries. Accordingly, USAID seeks to make its development, stability, and humanitarian assistance efforts
accessible to all.
This guidance builds upon the Agency's policy on disability, found in USAID Disability Policy Paper
dated September 12, 1997. The guidance extends the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) to USAID-financed assistance.
Within the USAID, the Bureau for Policy and Program Coordination (PPC) and the Agency's Disability Team have
responsibility for Agency disability policy and guidelines.
II. Policy
A. Universal Design - This guidance promotes universal design over accessible design. Accessible design means
products and buildings that are accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Universal design means
products and buildings that are accessible and usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. The
Agency believes that accessible design has a tendency to lead to separate facilities for people with
disabilities, diminishing the effectiveness of its efforts. Universal design, on the other hand, provides one
solution that can accommodate people with disabilities as well as the rest of the population.
B. Applicability Directives - This guidance is applicable to all USAID-financed construction activities,
including construction produced by contractors and subcontractors, grantees or subgrantees, or other U.S.
Government agencies supported through inter-agency obligating agreements, e.g. 632 (b) agreements.
Grants awarded to Public International Organizations (PIO) or 632(a) transfers or allocations should follow
the relevant guidance in USAID's Automated Directives System (ADS). The Agency recognizes that it does not
have specific expertise in universal/accessible design. Therefore, the U.S. Access Board , an independent
Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities, is USAID's consultative partner in
developing and maintaining accessibility requirements and providing technical assistance and training on
guidelines and standards. The Access Board and the list of resources included in this document provide
additional technical information.
C. Accessibility Standards - In order to stimulate sustainable, developmentally sound attention to the needs of
people with disabilities in host countries, the first preference is to use host country or regional standards
for universal access in construction if they exist. These standards must result in at least substantially
equivalent accessibility and usability as the standard provided in the ADA and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines. In the absence of a host country or regional standard that meets the ADA/ABA
threshold, the standard prescribed in the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines must be used.
D. Applying the Standards - It is acceptable, and strongly encouraged, to provide for alternative accommodation
for PWD where infeasible to apply accessibility standards (see Waiver section below). In circumstances in which
USAID financing contributes to a construction project including more than one agency or donor, USAID should
assure that the proposed standard for access for PWDs meets or exceeds the applicable standard. If it does not,
USAID must seek a waiver or it may not commit funds.
For multiple elements or spaces within facilities, such as housing, the percentage of elements or spaces
made accessible should proportionately reflect the disability population. If these data are not available,
WHO's estimate of at least 10 percent should be used.
Agency operating units must apply the guidance as follows:
(1) New construction - all new construction activities that include USAID financing will incorporate universal
or accessible design in accordance with the standards stated above.
(2) Alterations - changes to an existing structure that affects, or could affect the usability of the structure
shall adhere to the standards, unless these alterations are technically infeasible and/or constitute an undue
burden to the grantee or contractor. As a general rule, the principle of "if touched, it should be accessible"
shall apply.
- Technically Infeasible. With respect to an alteration of a building or a facility, something that has
little likelihood of being accomplished because existing structural conditions would require removing or
altering a load-bearing member that is an essential part of the structural frame; or because other existing
physical or site constraints prohibit modification or addition of elements, spaces, or features that are in
full and strict compliance with the minimum requirements.
- Undue Burden, i.e. entails significant difficulty or expense. In determining whether an action would result in
an undue burden, an agency/organization shall consider all resources available to the program or component for
which the product is being developed, procured, maintained, or used.
(3) Exceptions -
- normal maintenance, re-roofing, painting or wallpapering, or changes to mechanical or electrical systems
are not alterations and, therefore, the standards do not apply unless they affect the accessibility of the
building or facility.
- emergency construction that is temporary in nature (though the needs of people with disabilities should be
included in the overall program). When the emergency situation normalizes, however, more permanent
structures will follow the guidance on standards in this document.
Further discussion on Exceptions can be found in Section 203 of the ADA.
E. Waiver - When it can be demonstrated that adherence to these standards is not
possible, USAID may authorize a waiver to these guidelines. Assistant Administrators,
Mission Directors and other officials have authority to approve waivers under the delegated
implementing authorities in ADS 103.3.5 and 103.3.8.2.
The following guidance should be applied to waiver requests:
(1) The request for a waiver must identify the specific requirements and procedures of these guidelines
from which a waiver is sought and provide a detailed explanation, including appropriate information or
documentation, as to why a waiver should be granted. A statement(s) that, where feasible, persons with
disabilities will be accommodated and how such accommodations will allow access to all programs and
services needed should accompany requests.
(2) Grounds for a waiver include, but are not limited to:
- Lack of technical feasibility
- Undue burden
- Restricted or limited use (e.g. a fuel storage tank with ladder access is unlikely to be used by a broad
cross-section of the general population)
(3) Waivers should generally not be applied to a project or program but should be granted on a case-by-case
basis with reference to elements of a specific structure or a set of similar structures.
(4) The official approving the waiver must furnish a copy of the waiver by email to the Agency Disability
Team at least 45 days prior to the start date for the applicable project/activity to be posted on the
Agency's external web site.
Resources
The U.S. Access Board A comprehensive website providing accessibility guidelines and standards,
technical assistance, training, and research links, downloadable publications - including guidelines
and standards, and links categorized through an annotated list of resources. APRODDIS (Asociación pro Desarrollo de la Persona con Discapacidad, Peru, in Spanish and English) Manual de Diseño de Lugares
Accesibles* (an illustrated manual on accessible design, in Spanish)
CEPAM (Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas de Administração Municipal) Contact CEPAM for a copy of Município
Acessível ao Cidadão, in Portuguese, with a special focus on access to transport and pedestrian infrastructure.
Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Técnicas Developing access norms for Latin America region. Curso básico sobre
Accesibilidad al Medio Físico (Spanish).
United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development A Design Manual for a Barrier Free Environment*
(English).
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific Region (Thailand). Among several relevant
publications: "Promotion of Non-Handicapping Physical Environment for Disabled Persons: Guidelines."
World Bank Go to "disability."
National Center on Accessibility - provides services such as research, technical assistance and education,
focusing on universal design and practical accessibility solutions for people of all abilities.
International Building Code (IBC) - incorporates the most important, and most universally agreed upon,
provisions of the ADA.
Building Codes Illustrated - A Guide to Understanding the International Building Code" by Ching & Winkel,
published by Wiley - ISBN 0-471-09980-5.
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