Courthouse Access Advisory Committee; Meeting

AGENCY:

Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has established an advisory committee to advise the Board on issues related to the accessibility of courthouses covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. The Courthouse Access Advisory Committee (Committee) includes organizations with an interest in courthouse accessibility. This notice announces the date, times and location of the next Committee meeting, which will be open to the public.

DATES:

The meeting of the Committee is scheduled for February 9, 2006 (beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m.) and February 10, 2006 (beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m.).

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 1515 Rhode Island Avenue, NW., Washington DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Yanchulis, Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111. Telephone number (202) 272-0026 (Voice); (202) 272-0082 (TTY). E-mail yanchulis@access-board.gov. This document is available in alternate formats (cassette tape, Braille, large print, or computer disk). This document is also available on the Board's Internet site ( http://www.access-board.gov/caac/meeting.htm ).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In 2004, as part of the outreach efforts on courthouse accessibility, the Access Board established a Federal advisory committee to advise the Access Board on issues related to the accessibility of courthouses, particularly courtrooms, including best practices, design solutions, promotion of accessible features, educational opportunities, and the gathering of information on existing barriers, practices, recommendations, and guidelines. On October 12, 2004, the Access Board published a notice appointing 31 members to the Courthouse Access Advisory Committee. 69 FR 60608 (October 12, 2004). Members of the Committee include designers and architects, disability groups, members of the judiciary, court administrators, representatives of the codes community and standard-setting entities, government agencies, and others with an interest in the issues to be explored. The Committee held its initial meeting on November 4 and 5, 2004. Members discussed the current requirements for accessibility, committee goals and objectives and the establishment of subcommittees. The second meeting of the Committee was held in February, 2005. The Committee toured two courthouses and established three subcommittees: Education, Courtrooms and Courthouses (areas unique to courthouses other than courtrooms). Three additional meetings were held in May, August and November of 2005. Members of the Committee toured several courthouses and continued work in the three subcommittees. Minutes of the meetings may be found on the Access Board's web site at http://www.access-board.gov/caac/index.htm. At the February meeting of the Committee, members will continue to address issues both as a full Committee and in subcommittees.

Committee meetings are open to the public and interested persons can attend the meetings and communicate their views. Members of the public will have an opportunity to address the Committee on issues of interest to them and the Committee during public comment periods scheduled on each day of the meeting. Members of groups or individuals who are not members of the Committee are invited to participate on the subcommittees. The Access Board believes that participation of this kind can be very valuable for the advisory committee process.

The meeting will be held at a site accessible to individuals with disabilities. Real-time captioning will be provided. Individuals who require sign language interpreters should contact David Yanchulis by January 26, 2006. Notices of future meetings will be published in the Federal Register.