DSA's California Access Compliance Reference Manual

Download DSA's California Access Compliance Reference Manual in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF - 16.9 MB)  Last Updated 04/11/08

The Access Compliance Reference Manual is also available for download in sections:

• Section 1 – Statutes (PDF - 224 KB) Updated 03/20/08
• Section 2 – Regulations (PDF - 12.9 MB)  Updated 03/20/08 Effective 01/01/08
• Section 3 – Policies (PDF - 300 KB)  Updated 03/20/08
• Section 4 – Interpretations of Regulations (IRs) (PDF - 197 KB)  Updated 03/20/08
• Section 5 – Official Comments (Checklists) (PDF - 2.7 MB)  Updated 04/11/08

Introduction

The Division of the State Architect (DSA) has compiled California's Statutes, Title 24 Regulations, DSA Policies, DSA Interpretations of Regulations & DSA Checklists related to accessibility for persons with disabilities. The general intent of this document is to help clarify the obligations and specifically for accessibility in projects under the plan review jurisdiction of DSA, including State of California public elementary and secondary schools (grades K-12), community colleges, and state funded buildings and facilities. Following is a brief description of the contents of the five sections which comprise DSA's California Access Compliance Reference Manual:

• Section 1 - Statutes: California Law consists of 29 codes covering various subject areas, the State Constitution and Statutes. Some of the statutes listed in this manual reflect the laws currently in effect specifically related to the DSA on the subject of access compliance.
• Section 2 - Regulations: The California Code of Regulations (CCR) is the official compilation and publication of the regulations adopted, amended or repealed by state agencies. The CCR consists of 28 titles; Title 24, the California Building Standards Code, serves as the basis for the design and construction of buildings in California. The regulations included in this document are excerpted from Title 24 and include building regulations, adopted by DSA, which govern accessibility for persons with disabilities.
• Section 3 - Policies: The policies indicated in this manual address those aspects of DSA's plan and construction review program that are not clearly addressed by code. These policies are applicable to projects within the jurisdiction of DSA.
• Section 4 - Interpretations of Regulations (IRs): The Interpretations of Regulations shown in this section are intended for use by DSA staff and as a resource for design professionals to promote more uniform statewide criteria for plan review and construction inspection of projects within the jurisdiction of DSA. The IRs typically indicates acceptable methods of achieving compliance with applicable codes and regulations, although other methods proposed by design professionals may be considered by DSA.
• Section 5 - Official Comments (Checklists): This section contains a collection of 25 subject-specific checklists covering a variety of accessibility topics which may be applicable to construction projects typically submitted to DSA. We have attempted to include relevant citations of accessibility requirements from the CBC and the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The checklists are intended for use by DSA staff and as a resource for design professionals to promote more uniform statewide criteria for plan review and construction inspection of projects within the jurisdiction of DSA.

DSA hopes you find this reference material to be a valuable resource.