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The 2007 Florida Accessibility Code is based on the 2006 International Codes, which are published by the International Code Council. This code consists of Chapter 11 of the 2007 Florida Building Code. The provisions of the 2007 Florida Accessibility Code are effective March 1, 2009.
From the Introduction
In 1993 the Florida Legislature enacted the "Florida Americans with Disability Accessibility Implementation Act." The purpose and intent of this Act (Sections 553.501-553.513, Florida Statutes) is to incorporate into the laws of Florida the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law No. 101-336, 42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et. seq. ADA, while at the same time to maintain those provisions of Florida law that are more stringent than the ADA accessibility guidelines, that is, those provisions which are more favorable to the needs of the disabled. In 1997 the legislature amended the Act to complete the move to establish consistency of the Florida accessibility building code to the Federal ADA Accessibility Guidelines as adopted by the Department of Justice at 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A. Nothing in Section 553.501-553.513 is intended to expand or diminish the defenses available to a place of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, including, but not limited to, the readily achievable standard, and the standards applicable to alterations to places of public accommodation.
Accessibility is a multifaceted issue within the issues of life today. The legislative actions of the 101st Congress which implemented the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and previous acts of the Florida Legislature have been combined in the following pages to reflect accessibility laws as they relate to most areas of construction in Florida. Areas of employment as related to accessibility and/or complaints would be the responsibility of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1-800-669-4000 or 305-536-4491.
Primarily because of the complexities of balancing the rights of the physically disabled and the technically specific requirements of the built environment no single agency has been charged with enforcement of all issues pertaining to accessibility. The following is a listing of agencies and their statutory areas of responsibility for accessibility. A thorough attempt was made by the Department of Community Affairs at the time of publication of this document to ensure that this manual is a reflection of the laws of Florida and the administrative rules of each agency as these requirements relate to construction. Because individual agency rules may change, it is the responsibility of the design professional and the property owner to ensure compliance with subsequent revisions.
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