HUD's
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has launched an education
program that will help homebuilders and architects to more easily
design and construct housing that complies with the accessibility
requirements of the Fair Housing Act.
One
out of every five persons in the nation has some type of moderate
or severe physical disability. Yet, many of the nation's communities
suffer a critical shortage of accessible housing.
The
education program, Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST, provides architects
and builders with information about the Fair Housing Act's accessibility
requirements, and covers disability rights laws, common design and
construction violations and solutions, strategies for constructing
compliant kitchens, bathrooms and common-use areas, and the Department's
efforts to enforce the Act.
"The
education and outreach activities of this project will help to make
those in the housing industry more aware of their responsibilities
under the Fair Housing Act," said HUD Secretary Mel Martinez.
FIRST
has dual significance. FIRST describes the services offered by the
program: fair housing instruction, resources, support, and technical
guidance. FIRST also conveys the importance of planning for compliance
with the accessibility requirements first - before engineering,
design, and construction.
Carolyn
Y. Peoples, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal
Opportunity, said that when builders are aware of the Fair Housing
Act's requirements before design and construction begins, they can
avoid costly retrofitting and increase housing opportunities for
persons with disabilities.
The program's training curriculum is approved by the American Institute
of Architects for continuing education credits, and consists of
nine training modules that can be presented individually or in any
combination.
The
program, which is administered by BearingPoint, Inc., also includes
a technical assistance component. Technical guidance is offered
through a Design and Construction Resource Center that enables builders
and architects to receive individualized guidance from design experts
who use the same terminology. The Center can be reached through
the FIRST Web site, or via a toll-free hotline.
To
log on to the FIRST Web site, go to www.fairhousingfirst.org.
The site contains educational and legal materials, answers to frequently
asked questions, a training and conference calendar, links to related
sites, and allows interested individuals to ask questions.
To
reach the Design and Construction Resource Center, call the Center's
toll-free number, 1 (888) 341-7781, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.
- 5 p.m. (ET).
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