ADA & Accessibility: Let's Get Practical

Author(s):

Ohmes, Michele S.

Organization:

American Public Works Association (APWA)

Edition:

Second

Rating:

Abstract:

The main body of the book describes in a generic fashion the typical regulatory access problems a facility manager might encounter. The last two chapters present the Current and New ADAAG in a picture format. Features are presented alphabetical as solutions to hypothetical access issues and problems. Chapter V, Curb Ramps; Chapter XI, Exterior Pathways and Routes; and Chapter XVI, Public Right-of-Way are relevant to the pedestrian realm. It gives solutions to problems as opposed to giving instructions when to use a specific measure. The book’s greatest use would be to facility managers as a reference before they undertake a modification/improvement project and to public works employees. It is probably too elementary to be a comprehensive guide for professional highway engineers and designers.

Annotation:

ADA & Accessibility, published by the American Public Works Association, intends to have as its main audience public sector and institutional facility managers as well as public works employees. The author admits that the chief reason for the book is to address the "I never realized that. If I had known, I would have done it differently" syndrome. The main body of the book describes in a generic fashion the typical regulatory access problems a facility manager might encounter.

The last two chapters present the Current and Revised ADAAG entirely in pictures. There is no text. The format is interesting. First, it is alphabetical, starting with "alarms" and ending with "telephones." Second, it gives no dimensions, or details, or even designs; rather, it gives situations. Relevant to the pedestrian realm are Chapter V, Curb Ramps; Chapter XI, Exterior Pathways and Routes; and Chapter XVI, Public Right-of-Way. By offering solutions to problems as opposed to giving instructions when to use a specific design, Chapter V is, in its way, quite good, not only the pictures, but also the text. It could be used as a guide for the early stages of design.

The chapter on the public right of way is informative for the issues it addresses, but is too narrow in scope. One wants and needs more. Likely the book’s greatest use is by facility managers as a reference before they undertake a modification/improvement project. It is probably too limited to be a comprehensive guide for everyone in the development loop -- Planners, Designers, Managers and Maintenance Personnel. For what it does cover, it's quite good. The alphabetical format is confusing for planners and designers because one cannot adequately follow the contextual way in which the information is organized though this approach to a sidewalk design manual might be quite appropriate. For instance, everything is presented conceptually. For planning and the beginning design stages, one doesn't get bogged down in details, dimensions, and other decisions that come later in the design process.Finally, the author acknowledges that many people skim material, just looking at pictures and reading the captions. Accordingly, most of the information comes from the diagrams, their annotations, and their captions.

Number of Pages:

285

Illustrations?

Yes

Material Type:

Book

Notes:

Key Resource because it is likely to be on the bookshelf of the buildings and grounds department of a facility.

Key Document?

Yes

Categories:

Guidelines, Educational, Planning, Maintenance

Keywords:

Accessibility Law, ADA, ADAAG

Strengths:

• A source book for learning.
• A way to checkup on the professionals one has hired.
• The many, many diagrams.
• Excellent source of information for people who learn best from pictures.
• Performance rationale allows a designer to improvise.
• Gives design responses and presents examples.

Weaknesses:

• Very elementary.
• Weak on details.

Record Last Updated:

July 2006