It's entirely possible for a business to get permits and certificates of occupancy from the city building department and yet to not meet the federal ADA regulations. The ADA regulations are federal standards and specifications for accessibility. While it would be an ideal world where all these issues could be dealt with at once, here's the reality, as stated in one section of the page I've linked to:
As I said, It would certainly be simpler if the ADA specs got written into local building codes, but I suppose it's a federal vs. state/local jurisdiction thing, and never the twain shall meet. Sigh.
ETA: Savvy builders/renovators can hire architects who are knowledgeable about the ADA specs/regs, to review their plans and advise them on compliance, before they make an expensive mistake.
I saw this episode and picked up on the lack of access right away. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. As the former director of the Texas accessibility code and a member of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines Committee, there is no question this building is required to be accessible, including accessible restrooms and other features in accordance with ADA. The City of Galveston even has brochures on their permit counter relating to The Texas Accessibility Standards which are consistent with the the ADAAG. Texas was the second state to achieve equivalency certification from DOJ and has been on the forefront of accessibility since 1968. Imagine how surprised I was to see the lack of access in this project.
I should also add that the building does not appear to be operational at this time and I intend to check it out on my next trip.
Restoring Galveston - General Discussion
in Restoring Galveston
I saw this episode and picked up on the lack of access right away. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. As the former director of the Texas accessibility code and a member of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines Committee, there is no question this building is required to be accessible, including accessible restrooms and other features in accordance with ADA. The City of Galveston even has brochures on their permit counter relating to The Texas Accessibility Standards which are consistent with the the ADAAG. Texas was the second state to achieve equivalency certification from DOJ and has been on the forefront of accessibility since 1968. Imagine how surprised I was to see the lack of access in this project.
I should also add that the building does not appear to be operational at this time and I intend to check it out on my next trip.