Many sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian areas across the nation pose continued challenges in travel to individuals with disabilities. The U.S. Access Board has addressed this inequity by issuing its final rule on “accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way.” These guidelines provide federal, state, and local government organizations with information about how to make sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian facilities accessible to people with disabilities. Among the requirements are accessible pedestrian signals, curb ramps, detectable warning surfaces, and additional features that benefit people with vision impairment as well as those with other disabilities. In issuing the guidelines, Access Board Executive Director Sachin Pavithran explained that “’Equal access to pedestrian facilities is crucial because pedestrian travel is the principal means of independent transportation for many people with disabilities.’” For more details, read the news release announcing that the U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines. Additional background information is available in the Federal Register’s published report on Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way.
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