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Harris County Community Services Department <br /> Affordable Housing Project Design Standards <br /> <br />1.20ADAStandardsforAccessibleDesignandSection504 <br />Federallawsdefineapersonwithadisabilityas{!“äpersonwhohasaphysicalormental <br />impairmentthatsubstantiallylimitsoneormoremajorlifeactivities;hasarecordofsuch <br />impairment;orisregardedashavingsuchanz’¦z©’;“·u|Regardlessofwhetherapersonlives <br />inprivateorpublichousing,federallawsprovidethefollowingrightstopersonswith <br />disabilities:prohibitsdiscrimination,requireshousingproviderstomakereasonable <br />accommodationsforpersonswithdisabilitiesortoallowpersonswithdisabilitiestomake <br />reasonablemodificationstoastructuretoallowthefullenjoymentofthehousingandrelated <br />facilities,andrequiresthatnewcoveredmultifamilyhousingbedesignedandconstructedtobe <br />accessible. <br />ADAStandardsforAccessibleDesign <br />HarrisCountyrequiresthoserequestingfederalassistanceforrentalconstruction/development <br />projectstocomplywithfederalregulationsfoundat28CFRPart36,Nondiscriminationonthe <br />BasisofDisabilitybyPublicAccommodationsandinCommercialFacilities,excerptfrom28CFR <br />Part36:ADAStandardsforAccessibleDesign.TitleIIoftheADAcovershousingprovidedor <br />madeavailablebyapublicentity,includingpublichousingauthorities. <br />Section504 <br />Section504oftheRehabilitationActof1973,asamended,providesforequalopportunityto <br />enterfacilitiesandparticipateinprogramsandactivities.Allprojectsandprogramsreceiving <br />federalassistancemustevaluatethecurrentstateofaccessibilityoftheirprogramsand <br />activitiestodisabledparticipantsandemployees. <br />HarrisCountyrequiresthoserequestingfederalassistanceforaffordablehousingtocomply <br />withallfederalregulationsissuedpursuanttocompliancewithSection504ofthe <br />RehabilitationActof1973,whichprohibitsdiscriminationagainstthehandicappedinany <br />federallyassistedprogram.Dwellingunitsdesignedandconstructedinaccordancewiththe <br />UniformFederalAccessibilityStandards(UFAS)willbedeemedtocomplywiththeSection504 <br />regulation.Accessibleunitsmustbe,tothemaximumextentfeasible,distributedthroughout <br />thedevelopmentandmustbeavailableinasufficientrangeofsizesandamenitiessoasnotto <br />limitchoice. <br />Theprojectdevelopershall,atitssoleexpense,furnishthenecessaryinspectionpersonnelto <br />assureitselfofcompliancewiththerequirementsofSection504andUFAS.Theproject <br />sponsorshalldocumentandreporttheresultsofallinspectionactivitiesuponrequestbyHarris <br />County.TocomplywithSection504,theprojectsponsorshalldesignateandmaintainata <br />minimum,five(5%)ofthedwellingunitsinthedevelopment(butnotlessthanoneunit)that <br />mustbeaccessibletoindividualswithmobilityimpairments.Anadditionaltwopercent(2%)of <br />thedwellingunits(butataminimumnotlessthanoneunit)mustbeaccessibletoindividuals <br />withsensoryimpairments(i.e.hearingorvisionimpairments),unlessHUDprescribesahigher <br />numberpursuantto24CFR&8.22(c) <br />Harris County Community Services Department 15 <br />Affordable Housing Project Design Standards <br />Revised May 2011 <br /> <br />