FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CRT
THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1995                           (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

          WASHINGTON BECOMES THE FIRST STATE TO RECEIVE
                   BUILDING CODE CERTIFICATION

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department certified that
the state of Washington's building code meets the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements.
     Washington is the first state in the nation to receive such
certification.      
     Under the ADA's Standards for Accessible Design, newly
constructed or altered public and commercial facilities must be
built in a way that are accessible to people with disabilities.  
States may now apply for certification by the Justice
Department if their building codes are equivalent to the federal
guidelines.    "Everyone in the state of Washington - builders,
architects, business owners, and the general public will benefit
from Washington's new accessibility standards," said Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick.  "We hope
other states will follow Washington's leadership."
     Builders will benefit from this new process because it
ensures that construction which meets state codes meets the 
requirements of the ADA.  In addition, builders will have
additional legal protection in ADA lawsuits if they build in
compliance with the certified code.
     Currently, the Department is reviewing requests for
certification from the states of New Mexico, Utah, Florida, and
Texas.    
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