What is accessibility?
Accessible design practices incorporate the needs of people with disabilities into the design and development of public infrastructure, allowing everyone to access facilities independently.
A fully accessible transportation system results in a high-quality system for all users. Accessible infrastructure has been linked to increased business opportunities, social development health benefits, and increased independence among community members.
What contributes to accessible infrastructure?
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires pedestrian infrastructure to be accessible and usable by people of all abilities. Some elements of an accessible pedestrian route include:
- Sidewalks.
- Curb ramps.
- Crosswalks.
- Pushbuttons at traffic signals.
- Accessible parking.
Implementation of ADA-compliant features is important to ODOT and reflects our strategic goals of an equitable and modern transportation system and is strongly aligned with our values of integrity, safety, equity and excellence. We are committed to building and maintaining a transportation system that is accessible to people of all abilities.
What does ODOT do to ensure projects are accessible once complete?
We have integrated ADA requirements into all of our standard drawings, details, specifications and design manuals.
In addition, we prepare guidance and element designs to maximize accessibility in new construction and existing facilities.
We use technical guidance documents to clarify when, where, and how to provide access in the many unique situations found along the state highway system.