All new buildings and major renovation projects on the George Washington University’s (GW) campuses are constructed to meet current accessibility standards. In addition, from time to time, GW conducts a review of its existing buildings to evaluate accessibility, as many of the university’s buildings pre-date the establishment of current accessibility standards.
During the summer of 2013, major (pre-1991) public buildings on all three campuses were surveyed to assess the physical accessibility of the facilities. In accordance with ADA Title III and 2010 ADA Standards, accessibility upgrades were categorized based upon the four priorities for barrier removal:
Priority 1 - Accessible approach and entrance
Priority 2 - Access to goods and services
Priority 3 - Access to public toilet rooms
Priority 4 - Access to other items such as drinking fountains and public telephones
Since that assessment, GW has implemented a variety of Priority 1 access projects on all three campuses. These projects include initiatives such as:
Directional signage to accessible entrances
Accessible routes, including ramps, to building entrances
ADA accessible parking spaces
Automatic door operators
The university will continue to implement accessibility enhancements to its buildings in future years until all prioritized projects are complete. And of course, all renovations and new construction projects will continue to be constructed in full compliance with the most current ADA standards.
