The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and People with Physical Disabilities
When Does ADA Require Curb Ramps
at Existing Street Intersections?
To promote both efficiency and accessibility, public entities
may choose to construct curb ramps at every point where a pedestrian walkway
intersects a curb, but they are not necessarily required to do so. Alternative
routes to buildings that make use of existing curb cuts may be acceptable under
the concept of program accessibility in the limited circumstances where
individuals with disabilities need only travel a marginally longer route. In
addition, the fundamental alteration and undue burden limitations may limit the
number of curb ramps required.
To achieve or maintain program accessibility, it may be appropriate to establish
an ongoing procedure for installing curb ramps upon request in areas frequented
by individuals with disabilities as residents, employees or visitors.
However, when streets, roads or highways are newly built or altered, they must
have ramps or sloped areas wherever there are curbs or other barriers to entry
from a sidewalk or path. Likewise, when new sidewalks or paths are built or
altered, they must contain curb ramps or sloped areas wherever they intersect
with streets, roads or highways. Resurfacing beyond normal maintenance is an
alteration. Merely filling potholes is considered to be normal maintenance.
Last Revised: January 30, 2006
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