The Access Board is the federal agency which:
- Develops minimum guidelines and requirements for standards issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA),
- Develops accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment under the Telecommunications Act,
- Develops accessibility standards for electronic and information technology under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, etc
- Provides technical assistance on those guidelines and standards, and
- Enforces the Architectural Barriers Act which requires buildings and facilities built with federal funds to be accessible.
The Current standards under the ABA are the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). The Board develops the minimum guidelines for UFAS and enforces compliance with the standards. The Board does not enforce the ADA.
General enforcement of the ADA is by the Department of Justice; transportation, including complimentary paratransit, is regulated by the Federal Transit Administration; employment is regulated by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission; and the relay provisions are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC also enforces the Telecommunications Act.
The International Code Council maintains the standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, CABO/ANSI A117.1, which is referenced by the three model codes. This document is maintained by the Accredited Standards Committee A117, under procedures developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).