ICC (ASC A117.1) - ICC (2024)

General Information

It is with great sadness that we recently learned of the passing of Kermit Robinson on March 27, 2024. Kermit was the distinguished ICC Secretariat for the committee for many years and retired in early 2020. Our deepest condolences go out to Kermit's family and we will forever be grateful for his service to this very important committee.

If you wish to be placed on the ‘interested parties’ list for the development of the standard, contact the ICC Interim Secretariat, Karl Aittaniemi, Director of Standards. Interested parties will be notified by email of standards activities related to the ICC A117.1 standard.

If you wish to complete an application for membership to the ASC A117 Committee, contact the ICC Secretariat. ICC membership is not required.

2017 Edition

New to the 2017 edition are enhanced dimensions for clear floor spaces and turning spaces. These increases were in response to technical data regarding the space needed by persons using scooters and some types of motorized wheelchairs. These enhanced provisions only apply to new buildings and facilities. Where existing buildings and facilities are remodeled, the historic dimensions will still apply.

Other changes include exterior routes, curb cuts, blended transitions, clarity for detectable warnings, passenger drop offs and parking requirements coordinated with the Public Rights of Way Guidelines, providing an accessible design standard for electrical vehicle charging stations and enhanced safety for accessible routes crossing parking lots. Also introduced are acoustic standards for classrooms, features allowing for better communication for persons using sign language, provisions addressing the recharging of wheelchairs in assembly venues and hotels, access to gaming machines and tables, and provisions for water bottle filling stations. The new standard continues to provide coordination between the accessible provisions of this standard and the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (FHAG) and the 2010 Standard for Accessible Design referenced by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).

History of ICC A117.1

The 1961 edition of ANSI Standard A117.1 presented the first criteria for accessibility to be approved as an American National Standard and was the result of research conducted by the University of Illinois under a grant from the Easter Seal Research Foundation. The National Easter Seal Society and the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities became members of the Secretariat, and the 1961 edition was reaffirmed in 1971.

In 1974, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development joined the Secretariat and sponsored needed research, which resulted in the 1980 edition. After further revision that included a special effort to remove application criteria (scoping requirements), the 1986 edition was published. When requested in 1987, the Council of American Building Officials (CABO) assumed the Secretariat. Central to the intent of the change in the Secretariat was the development of a standard that, when adopted as part of a building code, the standard would be compatible with the building code and its enforcement. The 1998 edition largely achieved that goal. The 2017 edition of the standard is the latest example of the A117.1 committee’s effort to continue developing a standard that is compatible with the building code.

In 1998, CABO became the International Code Council (ICC). The International Code Council (ICC) became the secretariat in 1998 when CABO became ICC. The 2017 edition marks the 30th anniversary of the ICC Secretariat of the standard.

Editions of the A117.1 standard are 1961, 1971, 1980, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2009 and the 2017. Several editions of the A117.1 standard are 'safe harbor' for compliance with the FHA.Additional information is on the HUD website here.

Edition Development