ADA Requirements and Technical Assistance

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires the Department of Justice, along with other Federal agencies, to provide "technical assistance to individuals and insitutions that have rights or duties" under this law. The Department produced technical assistance materials for its 1991 ADA regulations implementing Title II (State and local governments) and Title III (public accommodations and non-profit service providers) and again in 2010 when the Department revised its ADA regulations for both titles.

ADA Regulations Implementing Title II and Title III

On Friday, July 23, 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder signed final regulations revising the Department's ADA regulations, including its ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The official text was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010 (corrections to this text were published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2011).

The revised regulations amend the Department's title II regulation, 28 CFR Part 35, and the title III regulation, 28 CFR Part 36. Appendix A to each regulation includes a section-by-section analysis of the rule and responses to public comments on the proposed rule. Appendix B to the title III regulation discusses major changes in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and responds to public comments received on the proposed rules.

These final rules went into effect on March 15, 2011, and were published in the 2011 edition of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Compliance with the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design was permitted as of September 15, 2010, but not required until March 15, 2012.

Regulation for State and Local Governments
2010 Revised ADA Regulation Implementing Title II

Regulation for Public Accommodations and Non-profit Service Providers
2010 Revised ADA Regulation Implementing Title III

Design Standards that apply for both Titles II and III
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design

ADA Title II Requirements to Provide Curb Ramps when Streets, Roads, or Highways are Altered through Resurfacing | PDF Departments of Justice and Transportation Joint Technical Assistance; Glossary of Terms | PDF

Technical Assistance Materials produced by the Department for the 2010 regulations
ADA Technical Assistance Materials

Proposed Regulations
The proposed rules the Department is developing

1991 ADA Regulation for Title II, 1991 ADA Regulation for Title III, and 1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
The regulations and standards that were in effect from 1991 to 2011 (2012 for the standards)