A: Yes — as does the International Building Code (IBC). In
fact, all three sets of standards are virtually interchangeable.
The building code and ANSI A117 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and
Facilities) are developed and published by the International Code Council. The
council has worked closely with the U.S. Access Board — the entity that ensures
ADA standards are properly implemented — to develop specifications that building
officials, plans examiners, inspectors, and designers can use to ensure
facilities benefit all users, including those with disabilities.
As a result, many of the codes’ provisions synchronize.
“The 2010 ADA
Standards match the format and many of the technical requirements in the 2003
A117.1,” says Kim Paarlberg, ICC senior staff architect and secretariat of the
council’s Means of Egress/Accessibility code development committee. “The most
obvious are configurations for single-occupant bathrooms and stairway
handrails.”
Other examples: Sections 207.1 and 207.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards reference
the 2000 and 2003 IBC for accessible means of egress and the scoping for cells
in jails and seating in large assembly spaces.
For more information, check out:
Whatever author Jay Woodward writes is worth your time. He has the clearest
and most logical approach to presenting the facts that I’ve ever heard. I have
this manual and find it an excellent resource.
These resources should help you better understand the collaboration of the
different codes with the Access Board for accessible new construction and
retrofits.