TheArchitectural Barriers Act of 1968 ("ABA",Pub. L. 90–480, 82 Stat. 718, enactedAugust 12, 1968, codified at42 U.S.C. § 4151 et seq.) is anAct of Congress, enacted by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson.
The ABA requires that facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with funds supplied by theUnited States Federal Government be accessible to the public.[1] For example, it mandates provision of disabled-access toilet facilities in such buildings.[2] The ABA marks one of the first efforts to ensure that certain federally funded buildings and facilities are designed and constructed to be accessible to people with disabilities. Facilities that predate the law generally are not covered, but alterations or leases undertaken after the law took effect can trigger coverage.
Uniform standards for the design, construction and alteration of buildings were created so that persons with disabilities will have ready access to and use of them. TheseUniform Federal Accessibility StandardsArchived 2007-07-12 at theWayback Machine (UFAS) are developed and maintained by an Access Board and serve as the basis for the standards used to enforce the law. The Board enforces the ABA by investigating complaints concerning particular facilities. Four Federal agencies are responsible for the setting the standards: theDepartment of Defense, theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development, theGeneral Services Administration, and theU.S. Postal Service. These federal agencies are responsible for ensuring compliance with UFAS when funding the design, construction, alteration, or leasing of facilities. Some departments have, as a matter of policy, also required compliance with theAmericans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines (which otherwise do not apply to the Federal sector) in addition to UFAS.[3]
The ABA (as amended) consists of seven sections:[4]
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