Free Workshop to Educate Builders about Fair Housing Act
United Spinal Association and the International Code Council (ICC) are offering a free Fair Housing Act Workshop on May 25, 2006, from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Loudermilk Conference Center, in Atlanta, GA. The workshop is designed to educate the construction industry about Fair Housing Act requirements. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the partnering organizations an Education and Outreach Initiatives Grant to ensure the construction of more accessible apartments and condominiums for people with disabilities. The two organizations are collaborating on the project with the endorsement of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB).
The Fair Housing Act Workshop will focus on the seven design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act as well as the “safe harbor” codes HUD has identified for compliance with the Fair Housing Act. This 4-hour program will be offered twice during the day; the morning session will run from 8 a.m. to noon, the second program will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. Attendees will receive a Certificate of Completion for the course. AIA and ICC members will receive continuing education credit for attendance.
Please visit www.accessibility-services.com to view the full program brochure and on-line registration form.
Enacted in 1968 and amended in 1988, the Fair Housing Act applies to apartments and condominiums and requires that public and common areas are accessible to persons with disabilities. Guidelines address many aspects of construction, including widths of doors and hallways; location of light switches, thermostats and environmental controls; reinforcement of bathroom walls for installation of grab bars, and kitchens and bathrooms accessible by people in wheelchairs.
Through its Accessibility Services program, United Spinal Association shares 60 years of experience in making the built environment fully accessible to all citizens with mobility disabilities. The Accessibility Services Program has provided expert advice and consultation for a wide variety of projects such as the new Yankee Stadium, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Airport Expansion, the American Institute of Architects in North Carolina, the Maryland Department of Housing, the Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Tennis Association’s National Tennis Center, and the City of Aspen, Colorado. They have trained thousands of design professionals nationwide and play a prominent role in crafting landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information about United Spinal’s Accessibility Services please visit their Web site or call 1-800-404-2898.