In what was advertised at the time as the biggest attended bill signing ever held on the White House lawn, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into effect 18 years ago, in July of 1990. Why, then, are there still complaints and lawsuits regarding the placement of accessibility elements? After the passage of the ADA, different federal agencies were given rulemaking authority for different sections of the act: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was awarded aircraft; the Department of Transportation (DOT) was awarded rail, buses, and highways; and the Department of Justice (DOJ) was responsible for buildings and facilities. The DOJ, which was more familiar with bank robberies and drug busts, chose a federal board - the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Board - to craft its rules. (The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Board is now known as the U.S. Access Board.) The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Board developed the bible of accessibility regulations: the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).
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