On June 29, 2017, the International Code Council (ICC), announced the release of an update to the 2009 ICC American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Standard. The ICC is the publisher of the International Codes or family of I-Codes as they are commonly known. One member of this family is the International Building Code (IBC), which has now been adopted in all 50 states. Accessibility requirements are addressed in Chapter 11 of the IBC, including section 1101.2 which requires buildings and facilities to be designed and constructed to be accessible in accordance with the IBC and ICC A117.1 standard.
Where Chapter 11 of the IBC addresses accessibility scoping requirements such as the “what,” where,” and “how many,” ICC/ANSI A117.1 is the referenced standard for the technical provisions or the “how” necessary to properly execute accessibility requirements. The updated edition of the standard continues to meet or exceed provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines and the Fair Housing Design Guidelines; both federal requirements.
In Virginia, the ANSI A117.1 is enforced through its incorporation by reference through the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) via the ICC International Building Code. Unless directed otherwise by local code enforcement officials or policy, designers and contractors should always comply with the versions of codes presently enforced within the jurisdiction of the project, local requirements, and the latest versions of referenced standards such as the ICC/ANSI A117.1.
