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
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
“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.”