The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an “equal opportunity” law for people with disabilities. The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires access to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. On September 23, 1996, The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) received equivalency certification from the U.S Department of Justice, meeting or exceeding the ADA guidelines. The TDLR administers the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS).
The TDLR registration requirement is determined by the Total Project Construction Cost. Projects with an estimated construction cost of less than $50,000 are not required to be registered for Elimination of Architectural Barriers (AB). Those projects with construction cost great than $50,000 cumulatively must be registered.
A Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) performs the required plan reviews and inspections. If a project has been registered after March 15, 2012, the 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) compliance is required. Before March 15, 2012, compliance with 1994 TAS is applicable.