Barrier

A barrier prevents access for a person with a disability. The most common barrier referred to in the ADA is a physical barrier, also known as an architectural barrier.

Related Resources

Articles (8) Blogs (8) News (3) Infographics (5)

Articles

Blogs

News

Infographics

Top Barrier Removal Priorities
Infographic titled 'Top Barrier Removal Priorities' featuring a graphic of a building with stairs and a ramp leading to the entrance. Priority 1: Provide an accessible approach and entrance into the facility Priority 2: Provide access to goods and services Priority 3: Provide access to restrooms Priority 4: Provide other measures necessary to improve access If you have any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact us at 1-800-949-4232
Snow Removal: For Business Owners
Infographic titled 'Snow Removal for Business Owners' featuring a man walking through the snow with a cane. 'Where a public accommodation must provide an accessible route, the route must remain accessible and not blocked by obstacles' - Department of Justice ADA Title III Technical Assistance Manual After snow, businesses should AVOID: Plowing snow into accessible parking, access isles, or curb cuts. Having snow or ice on the accessible route to the entrance. Removing snow is a readily achievable barrier removal If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232
Important ADA Activists: Judith Heumann
Infographic titled 'Important ADA Activists: Judith Heumann' Disability rights leader. Founder of Disabled in Action (1970). Led a sit-in to pass the regulations to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Quote: 'Disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives-job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example. It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair.' Quote source: Joseph S. P. Shapiro, No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement, page 20, (New York: Times Books, 1993). If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact us at 1-800-949-4232.
Types of Access Barriers
Social media image that says: Access barriers block access for a person with a disability. Types of access barriers are physical, policy, and communication. Image shows a person in a wheelchair below an outdoor cement staircase.
Small Business Statistics and Accommodation #1
Infographic showing a smiling person dressed business-casual. 4 out of 5 small businesses do not see the cost of accommodations as a barrier to employing people with disabilities. Note: For the purposes of this study, we define small business as employers having 15-500 employees. Source: William Erickson (Yang-Tan Institute, Cornell University) analysis of Cornell/SHRM Survey 2011, Private employers only. N=525 “We really wanted to make sure that the employee joined us. So, we did what we had to [to accommodate].” -Talent Acquisition & Human Resources Manager of a small information and technology company Quote is from a set of interviews with small business representatives conducted by the Northeast ADA research team to investigate small business needs around ADA implementation.