National Experience. Custom Solutions.

ADA One is a consulting firm drawing on the three decades of experience of Irene Bowen, J.D., and Larry J. Goldberg, J.D. Our services reflect our practical knowledge and insights into federal expectations for compliance.

Our firm offers one source for learning about and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws.

Consultants

Founder, Irene Bowen

ADA One consulting grows from President Irene Bowen’s thirty years of experience – and results – as Deputy Chief of the Disability Rights Section at the U.S. Department of Justice and as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Access Board. She achieved ADA compliance through landmark litigation, settlements, and education.

Ms. Bowen doesn’t just know, study, and apply the laws and regulations – she wrote and enforced many of their provisions. She understands what’s behind them. She grasps what the federal government expects for compliance, how it operates, and what it may do next.

Larry J. Goldberg

Larry J. Goldberg, JD, CHC, joined ADA One, LLC, as a partner, in September 2013.

Mr. Goldberg was most recently the Principal Deputy Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He now applies his experience, expertise, and collaborative approaches to advancing compliance with the ADA, returning to the area in which he began his legal career. Prior to joining HHS, he had served as Associate Legal Director of the National Center for Law and Deafness, had litigated cases on behalf of individuals with disabilities for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and had been an Assistant Attorney General for the Maryland State Department of Health.

Collaboration with Others

ADA One has collaborative relationships with experts in specialized fields – such as architecture, accessibility of web sites, information technology, employment, and housing – and draws on their services when they’re needed.

Our Services

ADA One provides ADA consulting, speaking, and compliance assessment services to public and private entities for titles II and III of the ADA, as well as assistance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other disability rights laws.

Why ADA One?

Working with ADA One, you can –

Get all your ADA help from one place — from us directly or in alliance with other experts
Learn from national leaders and acclaimed disability law experts
Position yourself for success at a time of change
- New requirements under the law and regulations
- Changing environments
- Tighter budgets
Find out what federal officials expect from businesses and state and local governments
Devise solutions that meet those expectations and that work for your setting and budget
Resolve problems before they become lawsuits

Those We Serve

ADA One provides presentation, training, consulting, and compliance assessment services to

A Range of Services

You can choose from a full menu of services, tailored to your needs.

Training and presentations
“Snapshot” or in-depth assessments of services, programs, and facilities
Self-evaluations, transition plans, barrier removal plans
Advancing organizations’ interests
Support in avoiding or responding to complaints, lawsuits, or government investigations
Conflict resolution and settlement monitoring

The ADA landscape continues to change: "New" ADA rules and pending rulemaking

DOJ's revised regulations of 2010 – the first major revisions since the ADA was enacted -- bring sweeping changes for the next decades. Amendments to the ADA itself – effective January 1, 2009 – sweep more individuals under the ADA’s protections.

The amended rules have been in effect for all purposes since January 2013, with most provisions taking effect in March 2011 or March 2012. New accessibility standards apply to new construction and alteration projects, and many existing facilities are also affected even if no alterations are otherwise planned. Changes affect a wide range of policies too – from service animals and Segways to communication and event ticketing.

More regulations will come soon. DOJ is expected to propose rules addressing web sites in 2013, followed by requirements for equipment and furniture and other areas. The U.S. Access Board is developing guidelines for diagnostic medical equipment, outdoor developed areas including trails, shared use paths, and streets and sidewalks, all of which may be the basis for future DOJ standards.

DOJ has also brought enforcement actions, entered settlements, or filed briefs as to emergency management planning and preparations, higher education, access to electronic information, communication with people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and food allergies. DOJ and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have stepped up enforcement of the rights of people with disabilities to access health care.

Learn more about managing ADA-related changes.

ADA One can help you get your bearings, spend your limited resources in a way that makes sense for you, and plan for compliance.

Highlights and Recent Developments

September 2013 — New assessment services from ADA One

ADA One now offers expanded assessment services to assist both public and private entities with self-evaluations, transition plans, or gap analyses. We tailor our own user-friendly electronic survey to your needs once we have gathered some initial information from your entity’s leaders and ADA Coordinator. Then —

We gather information about your current policies and practices from interviews with program managers (conducted by us or by your trained staff) and more open-ended but focused interviews for some types of programs.
We apply our in-house data analysis capabilities to information gathered, to provide a report of our findings, at the level of the City/County/entity, department, or program, along with recommendations.
We assist you in developing an action plan.
We develop a “living” automated project management system for you to use in tracking completion of the changes called for in the action plan.

Which Way DOJ?

Answering Attendee Questions - Rebecca Bond, Irene Bowen, John Wodatch

Answering Attendee Questions
Rebecca Bond, Irene Bowen, John Wodatch

July 2013 –The ADA Compliance Guide and HR Compliance Expert published Irene Bowen’s article about the first public presentation of Rebecca Bond, the new Chief of the Disability Rights Section at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). She spoke as keynote presenter in April 2013 at the twice-a-year conference of the National Association of ADA Coordinators (NAADAC).

Ms. Bond signaled that DOJ will not only continue its strong enforcement of the ADA but also venture into new arenas that affect people with all types of disabilities, various types of public accommodations, and state and local governments. Read the article [PDF, MS Word], with highlights about her comments as to education and technology, individuals with epilepsy, health care providers, other public accommodations, the future of Project Civic Access, recreation facilities, Olmstead litigation, and rulemaking.

August 2012 — Sample self-evaluation report: Fulton County, Georgia

The County of Fulton, Georgia, which surrounds Atlanta, has published ADA One’s report under Phase One of the County’s Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. See the full report, Fulton County: Full Access Ahead.

November 2011 — “Building Georgia’s Future,” 2011 update of Georgia facilities manual

The Georgia State ADA Coordinator’s Office has issued an update by ADA One and LCM Architects to its technical assistance manual for design and construction professionals. The user-friendly manual gives an overview of federal nondiscrimination laws and how they relate to each other, reviews some of the major changes in the 2010 Standards, and alerts readers to pending federal guidelines and standards. It also explains the concepts of universal design and program accessibility, with examples, and makes practical suggestions about procurement. These cover architectural and engineering services, consulting services, property leases, building projects, equipment, and printing. It outlines areas that need attention during design and plan review and offers tips for maintaining accessibility and ensuring access to historic facilities. It includes resources and a maintenance checklist.

January 2011 — Popular resource for all types of entities:

NEW ADA GUIDE, January 2011: Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits, reflecting the new DOJ regulations, with best practices, tip sheets, extensive resources (press release [PDF]) and (guide). Read more about the guide here.

Projects and Clients

ADA One has –

Advised entities such as the Coca-Cola Company, Princeton University, and Columbia University about ADA issues
Worked with Mankato State University, the City of Chicago, the County of Fulton, Georgia, and other local governments to develop self-evaluations and transition plans
Worked with prominent private health care providers, including the University of Southern California and USC Care Medical Group and the Northwestern University Medical Faculty Foundation, to advise them about and/or assess their policies and practices. Read more about health care
Provided ADA training for the staff of Montgomery County (Maryland), the City of Chicago, and Mankato State University; faculty and staff of the Grand Rapids Community College, Polk College, Cornell University, and Columbia University; and numerous national, state, and local organizations. See more about training and speaking services
On an international level, addressed the history, strengths, and weaknesses of the ADA and its accessibility and enforcement provisions. See Irene Bowen’s paper reflecting her presentation to the Conference on Legal Instruments for the Enforcement of Accessibility for Disabled Persons in Kassel, Germany, November 2012: The American Experience: What Makes the ADA Work, and What Are the Implications for Implementation of Germany’s Accessibility Laws? (to be published in September 2013)

Authored or co-authored three ADA guides: one for non-profits, one about facilities, and one about access to the courts (pending publication).

Selected Presentations, 2013

Montgomery County (Maryland) Government, January and February 2013, “Purchasing and Contracting and the ADA”

State of Georgia ADA Conference, June 4, 2013 – Sole presenter for Higher Education track, presenter for accessibility track

AHEAD national conference, July 2013

Does Your Campus Measure Up to the ADA? (one-day pre-conference institute)
The ADA: Beyond the ABCs of Academics
- Part A, Recreation, Transportation, Evacuation, and Events
- Part B, On-campus Living and Dining
- Part C, Animals on Campus
We’re from the Government. How Can We Help You? (panel organizer and moderator)

“New ADA Accessibility Standards: What Do They Mean for Your Campus’ New and Existing Facilities?” – September 12, 2013, Paper Clip Communications webinar

Mid-Atlantic ADA Update Conference, “ADA Compliance: It’s more than a checklist” — September 19, 2013

National Association of ADA Coordinators, November 4-7, 2013

Access and Services Track, Coordinator and Presenter

Times They Are A’ Changin’ (Title II basics)
Gonna Change My Way of Thinkin’ (reasonable modifications)
Hot! Hot! Hot! (current issues)
The Message (effective communication)
A Place for Us (program access)
Master Plan (self-evaluations and transition plans)
Let’s Work Together (program access, hands-on)
Help! (difficult issues)

KEYNOTE SPEECH: “ADA: Past, Present, Future” on the 20th anniversary of the ADA at AHEAD, July 2010 (text and photos, PDF, 1.36 MB). “Higher education is a microcosm of society as a whole, and it is often at the forefront of developing issues. Let’s take a broad view of where we are, how we got here, and where we might be going – with a glimpse at some issues particular to higher education.”