Simplifying the accessibility (disability) myth: we all may become disabled, so think more about how to regulate our built environment and our programs.

A CLEAR AND POWERFUL MESSAGE WAS SENT TO the American people more than 15 years ago when Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but somehow we missed the point. In some circumstances, we continue to miss the point with respect to the span of the ADA.

Right now, more than 43 million Americans have a disability. The identity of the group of Americans with disabilities is constantly changing--at any moment we ourselves could become part of this group, for maybe a short time or maybe for a long time.

Disability is not about a specific group of people. Disability is about a specific time in our lives. For some it may be temporary, for others it may be much longer. Disability is about the fourth-grader who breaks her leg falling off the playground slide and the hockey player who crashes into the boards 15 seconds into his first college game becoming instantly paralyzed from the neck down. It's about the construction worker who's nearly deaf from running a jackhammer and the person born with no arms. It's about the 30-year-old asthma sufferer and the 60-year-old office worker recuperating from bypass surgery. It's about all of us at some point in our lives. Sobering thought.

As a society, we have mistakenly adopted a mindset that divides us into two groups, "able-bodied" and "disabled." The fact is: we all will be part of the disabled community for some time in our lives. It is from that perspective that we need to think about and regulate our built environment and our programs. If we act from the perspective of what we would want when, rather than if, we become disabled, we truly will be able to make great progress for all people.

Statistical Support

The statistics are quite eye opening. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at the turn of the millennium in 2000, the population of the United States was 281,421,906.

OUT OF THAT TOTAL:

* 48.9 million had one or more disabilities (17.3 percent)

* 32 million were age 65 or over (11.4 percent)

* 3.3 million were age 85 and older (1.2%) and that's projected to grow to over 6 million (2.1 percent) by 2010

RECENT STATISTICS INDICATE THAT:

* 70 percent of us will have a temporary or permanent disability that makes stair climbing impossible

* 8,000 people have spinal cord injuries each year and return to homes that are inaccessible

* 32.5 million (11.5 percent) had serious hearing disabilities (in 2003)

* 18.6 million (6.6 percent) had vision disabilities (in 2003)

* 31.3 million (11.1 percent) had heart disease and reduced or limited mobility (in 2003)

The first version of the ADA that went before Congress was crafted by President Ronald Reagan's appointees to the National Council on Disability. Even at that time (late 1980s), the disability movement included conservatives as well as liberals and was unified in the view that what was needed was not a new and better brand of social welfare system but a fundamental examination and redefinition of the democratic tradition of equal opportunity and equal rights.

In just two years, Congress passed the ambitious legislation, and in 1990, President George Bush held the largest signing ceremony in history on the South Lawn of the White House, a historic moment for all people with disabilities. To some degree, passage of the ADA was brought about by members of Congress realizing their obligation to ensure civil rights for all Americans.

Global Reach

The ADA is historic not only nationally but globally as well. No other mandate in the world has its scope. The ADA has unique appeal for all Americans because, unlike other civil rights categories such as race or gender, any one of us could become a member of the protected class at any moment in our lives.

The good news is that here in the United States we have developed building codes that have significantly reduced damage and injury to people and property. We have done so well with issues like fire sprinklers, rated construction, and structural stability that we have gone on to the next level and begun to address other issues that are equally important. Energy efficiency, protection of heritage buildings, and accessibility are examples of where we have taken codes beyond traditional requirements.

The current editions of NFPA 101[R], Life Safety Code[R], and NFPA 5000[R], Building Construction and Safety Code[R], reflect the needs of accessibility. The timing of major changes to federal rules applying to accessibility proved fortuitous to members of the NFPA 5000 Technical Committee on Building Systems during the last revision cycle. The July 2004 revision of Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the 2004 changes to ANSI A117.1, Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, provided the Technical Committee with the chance to incorporate the scoping and technical changes from the two documents into Chapter 12 of NFPA 5000. NFPA 5000 now reflects everything that relates to accessibility.

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The new material from ADAAG is mainly extracted, while the technical provisions of ANSI A117.1 are incorporated by cross-referencing the specific sections. In addition, there's guidance for supplemental escape devices, which can be used voluntarily (but are not required) to help prevent such devices from creating an unsafe condition or false sense of security. Also, there is significant annex text added to NFPA 101 to address stairway descent devices for persons with mobility impairments.

Recently, the NFPA Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities was developed with input from the disability community to provide general information on this important topic. In addition to providing information on the five general categories of disabilities (mobility impairments, visual impairments, hearing impairments, speech impairments, and cognitive impairments), the Guide outlines the four elements of evacuation information that occupants need: notification, way finding, use of the way, and assistance.

The bad news is that, while we have made a good start on accessibility in the 35 years since the original edition of ANSI A117.1 began being adopted and enforced locally, we still have a long way to go. Why does it seem to take so much time and effort to write workable codes and standards for accessibility?

What makes dealing with quality-of-life issues, particularly accessibility, so difficult? After all, the goal is simple--we want everyone to have the right to the same opportunities, a right that flows directly from our Constitution. So why are we having such a hard time getting there?

What makes it so difficult is our mindset. We "know" that each one of us is unique. We certainly have many general physical features in common, such as eyes, ears, and organs. However, there are differences even in those areas, some small and some great.

We seem to believe that it's relatively easy to write code so that we're all protected in buildings that won't burn or won't collapse during an earthquake. But when it comes to accessibility and making sure that everyone can use a building with equal facility, we still have room for improvement.

We have computer software that can "read" documents to assist people with visual impairments. We are developing new tools every day. We have voice-activated software that can "type" into a computer to assist people with limited use of their hands and fingers. Our goal in developing accessible code requirements for buildings is to provide that same kind of flexibility and to accommodate everyone who uses every building. This requires that we start with the right mindset, a mindset that understands we may all need some or all of these requirements during some period in our lives.

The First Regulations

The first regulations for accessibility, ANSI A117.1, were adopted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were successful in producing benefits for millions of people. Ramps, elevators, curb cuts, accessible toilets, and signage provided new freedom for people to get to, into, and around thousands of public facilities all over the country. Now we've learned that those adaptations are only a small part of the complete solution. We need to address audio and visual accessibility as well as mobility accessibility. What do people do once they're inside a building? Where do they sit? How good is the quality of their seat? How well can people see and hear? How might they get out of the building in an emergency?

In 1990, Congress passed the ADA, which is generally considered the flagship piece of legislation on the subject. In the act, the term disability means one of the following:

* "A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of a person"

* "A record of such an impairment"

* "Being regarded as having such an impairment"

The continuing existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination and prejudice denies people with disabilities the opportunity to compete on an equal basis and to pursue those opportunities for which our free society is justifiably famous. This discrimination costs the United States billions of dollars in unnecessary expenses resulting from dependency and non-productivity and we need to break the cycle.

Congress clearly stated its purposes in passing the ADA:

* "To provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against people with disabilities;

* "To provide clear, strong, consistent, and enforceable standards that address discrimination against people with disabilities;