ADA Standards and Procedures
Submittal Procedures
Submissions requiring review and approval can be filed with the Architectural Accessibility Board (AAB) by submitting the required plans and drawings to the Chief Administrator. One (1) set of 100% complete project documents that are signed and sealed should be submitted via mail or delivery along with a cover letter. An additional set of PDF documents shall be submitted electronically. Projects which are assumed to have no impact on Accessibility may be submitted via email only. All related reviews will be conducted within 60 days of receipt of the submission. Letters of approval, or disapproval, will be issued within that timeframe. Usually, the project's design professional is responsible for filing the required documents with the AAB.
Standards
For the purpose of technical design and construction under Delaware's Architectural Accessibility Act, the AAB has adopted the American National Standard – Accessible and Usable Building and Facilities ICC/ANSI A117.1, as revised. Currently, the 2017 edition is being followed.
The AAB has modified some of the technical requirements of the above-referenced ANSI standards. These modifications have been detailed, along with the AAB's scoping requirements for State-owned facilities, in a document titled the State of Delaware Architectural Accessibility Standards. Copies of the ANSI standards must be obtained through the American National Standards Institute, Inc. or through the International Code Council (ICC).
Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the State of Delaware is required to comply with Title II of the act. Title II requires that all State programs, services and activities be accessible to persons with disabilities. Minimum accessibility guidelines established under the ADA (ADAAG) must be met. Even though these minimum guidelines closely match current building code requirements for accessibility, there are some differences. Both the federal guidelines and the local codes must be met to ensure overall accessibility compliance.
