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U.S. Housing & Urban Development

Fair Housing Accessibility First

~ TRAINING EVENTS ~

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Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST is an initiative designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction programs, useful online web resources, and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support.

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The Fair Housing FIRST program offers a professional training curriculum with instruction materials for those who would like more clarity on some fair housing issues.  To register for the training events please go to the web link: 

Fair Housing First Training Calendar.

If you have any questions, please call the Design and Construction Resource Center at Toll Free at (888) 341-7782, or email at FairHousingFirst@hud.gov.



~ UPCOMING WEBINARS ~

Accessible Recreational Boating Facilities

and Fishing Piers and Platforms

August 4, 2022 @ 8:30 a.m. (Hawaii Time)

Speakers: Bill Botten and Sarah Presley, U.S. Access Board

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To register for the webinar, go to:

Upcoming Session

To view past webinars, go to:

Archive Sessions



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STATE OF HAWAII

~ BUILDING ENTRY ADVISORY ~

Effective March 28, 2022

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Ensuring the protection of the government workforce and public is essential for continued operation and service to the public.

• No weapons or explosives are permitted on property (HAR Chapter 3-111).

Entry to the building may require:

• Photo identification

For your protection:

• Face coverings are recommended while in the building. Thank you for wearing face masks.
• Be respectful to other's concerns for social distancing while in the building.

If you have a cold, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches or fever, please do not enter the facility. Contact a medical facility or your physician.

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Disability and Communication Access Board

~ UPDATED OFFICE PROTOCOLS ~

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To ensure everyone is healthy and safe, we will continue to adhere to the visitor protocols currently in place. If you plan to visit the office, please observe the following protocols:

• Masks are encouraged upon entry into the Kamamalu Building.
• Appointments are encouraged.
• Sign in with security in the lobby before entering our office.
• For walk in assistance, sign in on DCAB's visitor log sheet.
• Temperatures will be taken upon arrival into our office. (For the safety of others, any person with a temperature of 100.4° or higher will not be allowed to remain in the office.)
• Be seated in the waiting area located in the lobby for further assistance.
• Social distancing of 6 feet between one another.
• Visitor Protocols are subject to change as we monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.

MAHALO FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Duane Buote, Facility Access Coordinator at duane.buote@doh.hawaii.gov.



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The U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency that issues accessibility guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA), Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), Rehabilitation Act of 1973 , and other laws, is providing a technical assistance document to assist in the design and construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.

• Types of EV Charging Stations that Must Be Accessible: https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#types-of-ev-charging-stations-that-must-be-accessible

• Definitions: https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#definitions

• Differences Between Charging Spaces and Parking Spaces: (See article below)  Web link:  https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#differences-between-charging-spaces-and-parking-spaces

• Existing Requirements that Apply to EV Charging Stations:  https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#existing-requirements-that-apply-to-ev-charging-stations

• Accessible EV Chargers: https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#accessible-ev-chargers

• Accessible Mobility Features: https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#accessible-mobility-features-1

• Accessible Communication Features: https://www.access-board.gov/ta/tad/ev/#accessible-communication-features-1

• Additional Web links: https://www.access-board.gov/news/

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Although EV chargers are often installed in parking lots, there are some significant differences in use that warrant EV charging spaces be treated differently from parking spaces.

EV charging requires drivers with disabilities to exit their vehicle, traverse to the charger, and carry the connector back to their vehicle charging inlet (which may be on the opposite side of where they enter/exit their EV). Since EV’s do not have a standard location for the vehicle charging inlet, maneuverability around the entire EV is needed. Also, as DCFC cables get heavier and shorter to achieve faster charging, EV’s need to be parked in a way that aligns the vehicle charging inlet with the charger, which could conflict with the orientation needed for a driver with a disability to use the access aisle.

By contrast, a driver with a disability can use an accessible parking space as long as the vehicle is oriented with the access aisle; a person with a disability could either pull-in or back-in to the parking spot to get the access aisle on the appropriate side. The additional space provided by an access aisle is needed only by the person with a disability (who may be either a driver or passenger) and additional space on the opposite side of the vehicle is usually not needed.

Because of this fundamental difference in use, this document differentiates between parking and EV charging, and primarily focuses on the needs of an EV driver with a disability. The needs of passengers with disabilities are not addressed in this document because it is presumed passengers with disabilities could enter or exit the vehicle at a nearby accessible parking space or passenger loading zone.

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U.S. Access Board, News & Events, U.S. Access Board Issues Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (July 21, 2022), retrieved from  https://www.access-board.gov/news/