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Page last updated on March 6, 2024 at 9:32 am

To remain eligible for federal transportation funding, FHWA-Indiana requires that agencies have an operating ADA Transition Plan. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulated that every public agency with more than 50 employees have an ADA Transition Plan completed by January 26, 1995. The Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization established this page to serve as a resource for Local Public Agencies (e.g., Monroe County, City of Bloomington, Town of Ellettsville, MCCSC, etc.), as they work toward this requirement.

A good introductory resource for LPA's is the NCHP report (2009), ADA Transition Plans: A Guide to Best Management Practices. This report details seven steps for meeting the requirements of ADA:

  1. Designate an ADA Coordinator
  2. Provide public notice of ADA requirements
  3. Establish a grievance procedure
  4. Develop internal design standards, specifications, and details
  5. Assign personnel for the development of the Transition Plan and completing it
  6. Approve a schedule and budget for the Transition Plan
  7. Monitor the progress on the implementation of the transition plan.

Below is a summary of additional resources that include a great deal of information about ADA Transition Plan requirements and related aspects of ADA:

 

Getting Started

ADA/504 Technical Assistance Tool (FHWA) (PDF)

  • This document lists a series of 'yes' or 'no' questions that can serve as a starting point for assessing agency's progress towards complying with ADA and Section 504.

ADA Transition Planning Emphasis Area Guidance (PDF 144.10 KB)

  • This document, presented to Indiana's MPO Council in May 2011, provides a detailed listing of suggested milestones for agencies to follow in completing an ADA Transition Plan.

 

Workshop and Webinar Presentations

ADA Workshop 8/5/11

The FHWA conducted an ADA Transition Plan Workshop for area local public agencies on August 5, 2011. The following materials were used and discussed during the workshop:

 

Other Materials

FHWA Presentation - ADA Transition Plans (PDF 105.84 KB)

  • This presentation was given to Indiana MPOs and other agencies in November 2009. It provides an overview of the law, requirements, and process of completing a Transition Plan.

APBP Webinar - ADA Transition Plans

  • This webinar was given on March 17, 2010 and covers federal, local, and private consulting perspectives relating to ADA requirements and Transition Plans. Given by representatives of FHWA, the City of Bellevue, WA, and LYKA Consulting in Chicago IL.

 

Legal, Regulatory, and Enforcement Resources

Memo regarding FHWA oversight of ADA

  • This memo, dated September 12, 2006, clarifies FHWA's role in overseeing compliance with ADA and Section 504.

ADA Enforcement Overview(PDF)

  • This document provides a brief outline of the typical process for DOJ settlements and civil suits, including examples.

Question and Answer on ADA/Section 504 (FHWA)

  • A comprehensive Q&A about ADA/Section 504 from FHWA's Office of Civil Rights.

 

Technical Guidance

Asset Management Approaches to ADA Compliance (AASHTO)

  • The primary purpose of this NCHRP-funded report is to provide a synthesis of best practices on addressing ADA compliance issues in public rights-of-way. Topics include asset data inventory, asset condition assessment, and programming of asset improvements.

Pedestrians Checklist and Considerations for Temporary Traffic Control Zones (FHWA)

  • This document provides a checklist and overview of pedestrian-related consideration in planning, design, and construction phases for roadway projects.

ADA Best Practices Toolkit - Curb Ramps and Pedestrian Crossings (Department of Justice)

  • This Department of Justice resource details the requirements of Title II of the ADA relating to curb ramps and pedestrian crossings.

 

Case Studies and Examples

City of Bellevue, WA - ADA Sidewalk and Curb Ramp Compliance Program

City of Rancho Cordova (CA) ADA Transition Plan

Sacramento County (CA) ADA Transition Plan

Hawaii ADA Transition Plan (PDF 161.36 KB)

Field Data Inventory Form (Michiana Area Council of Governments) (PDF 576.53 KB)

This one-page form can be used in the field to collect data at intersections on curb ramps, crosswalks, and approaches. This form was used by MACOG in northern Indiana to provide the data needed for their ADA compliance review. (Note: an MSOffice Access (2007) database used by MACOG can be accessed under the links column to the right).

Prioritization Methodology (Michiana Area Council of Governments) (PDF 68.25 KB)

This document details MACOG's methodology for prioritizing intersection improvements based on analysis of field data, a necessary component of ADA Transition Plans.

 

2011 ADA Rule Change

According to a March 14, 2011 U.S. Dept. of Justice news release, "Revised regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will take effect tomorrow, March 15, 2011, the Department of Justice announced. The revised rules are the department's first major revision of its guidance on accessibility in 20 years."

"The regulations apply to the activities of more than 80,000 units of state and local government and more than seven million places of public accommodation, including stores, restaurants, shopping malls, libraries, museums, sporting arenas, movie theaters, doctors' and dentists' offices, hotels, jails and prisons, polling places, and emergency preparedness shelters. The rules were signed by Attorney General Eric Holder on July 23, 2010, and the official text was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010."

"The department is also releasing a new document, 'ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business,' to help small businesses understand the new and updated accessibility requirements. In addition, the department is announcing the release of a new publication explaining when the various provisions of its amended regulations will take effect..." Both documents are available at http://www.ada.gov/

Contact human.rights@bloomington.in.gov to learn more about the City of Bloomington's ADA accommodation policies. If you are interested in getting involved in ADA issues in Bloomington, please refer to the webpage of the https://bloomington.in.gov/cca.