Accessibility in New Buildings
Multi-family buildings
of four (4) or more
units
first occupied after March 13, 1991
must meet certain new
construction requirements and include certain new accessibility features
in all units in buildings with elevators
and only in ground
floor units made accessible in buildings with four (4) or more units and no
elevators.
HUD published the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines on
March 6, 1991 as minimum accessibility standards to be used by builders when
constructing new multi-family dwellings.
Accessibility Features:
- At least one accessible building entrance on an
accessible route (unless terrain or site characteristics make this
impractical).
- Accessible public and common areas.
- Doors and hallways wide enough for persons in
wheelchairs.
- Within each covered unit:
an
accessible route into and through the unit,
accessible light
switches, electrical outlets and thermostats,
reinforced bathroom
walls to allow later installation of grab bars, and
kitchens and
bathrooms usable by people in wheelchairs.
These requirements do not replace stricter
standards in state or local laws.  |
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Accessibility Requirements in New Construction
Newly constructed multi-family dwellings
with four or more units must provide basic accessibility to people with
disabilities, if the building was ready for first occupancy on or after March
13, 1991. The design features mentioned here apply to all units in buildings
with elevators and to ground floor units in multi-level buildings without
elevators.
Multi-story townhouses are exempt from these
requirements. The following are FHAA's required accessible design features:
- At least one building entrance must be on an accessible
route.
- All public and common use areas must be readily
accessible.
- All doors into and within all premises must be wide
enough to allow passage by persons in wheelchairs.
- All premises must contain an accessible route into and
through the dwelling unit.
- All light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and
environmental controls must be placed in an accessible location.
- Reinforcements in the bathroom walls for later
installation of grab bars around toilet, tub, and shower must be provided.
- Usable kitchens and bathrooms must be provided so that a
person who uses a wheelchair can maneuver about the space.
Although FHAA does not include any
exceptions to these requirements, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) has determined that the provision requiring at least one
building entrance be on an accessible route may be exempted if it is
impractical to do so because of terrain or unusual site characteristics. For
example, an accessible route to a building constructed on stilts would be
impractical. The burden of proving impracticality is on the designer or builder
of the housing facility. HUD has indicated that only infrequent cases will
qualify for this exception.
In an effort to provide technical guidance
to builders, HUD issued the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines. The
guidelines are not mandatory, but simply provide technical guidance to assure a
minimum level of accessibility.
For more information on the Fair Housing Accessibility
Guidelines, click here.
And/or
for the Fair Housing Act Design Manual, click here.
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