Introduction
The Access Board enforces accessibility standards issued under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA). The ABA requires that buildings or facilities that were constructed or altered by or on behalf of the United States, or leased or financed in whole or in part by the United States, after August 12, 1968, be accessible to individuals with physical disabilities. Anyone can submit a complaint about accessibility barriers at buildings or facilities.
Important Note: Please bear in mind that the only complaints that should be filed through this system are complaints alleging violations of the ABA. Complaints about other government services or issues, such as Social Security Insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI), benefits, tax, motor vehicle, health insurance, welfare, and any other topic unrelated to the accessibility of Federal buildings or facilities, should not be addressed to the Access Board but rather to the appropriate Federal, State, or local entity. Complaints related to accessibility barriers in State or local government buildings, as well as places of public accommodation (restaurants, hotels, bars, movie theaters, etc.), should be directed to the United States Department of Justice, which enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). For information on other Federal laws that address accessibility and protect the rights of people with disabilities, please refer to these other resources.
Filing a Complaint
You may file an ABA complaint with the Access Board using our Online ABA Complaint Form or by e-mail, fax, or mail (please see the contact information below). Please note that while there is no limit on the number of complaints that you can file, you must submit a separate complaint for each building or facility. If you are filing online, and you wish to submit multiple complaints, you will be prompted after you submit your first complaint with instructions for filing additional complaints.
Instructions for the Online ABA Complaint Form
The Online ABA Complaint Form consists of five sections: (1) Building or Facility Information; (2) Accessibility Barriers; (3) Complainant Information; (4) Review and Submit; and (5) Confirmation. Please note that no “save” function is available for the form and that you must complete it in one sitting. To file a complaint, you need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Building or Facility Information. Provide information about the building or facility. (This information is required.)
Step 2: Accessibility Barriers. List and provide a description of all of the accessibility barriers that you have encountered at that building or facility. (This information is required.)
Step 3: Complainant Information. Provide your name and/or contact information if you wish; this information is not required. However, if you provide your contact information, we will be able to communicate with you about our investigation. Pursuant to our regulations, we will not disclose your name and/or contact information to anyone without your express written permission.
Step 4: Review and Submit. If you have any photographs or other supporting documents that you wish to include with your complaint, follow the instructions to upload the electronic file(s). Also, in the Review and Submit section, you can review all of the information you entered in the previous steps and edit it if necessary. Finally, to submit your complaint, click the “Submit My Complaint” button at the bottom of the page.
Step 5: Confirmation. The confirmation page will appear and show an automatically generated complaint number. You will also have an option to print your complaint. Please keep the complaint number with your records so that you can refer to it if you wish to inquire about the status of your complaint or provide additional information to us in the future.
To file an ABA complaint, click here to access the Online ABA Complaint Form.
Alternate ABA Complaint Filing Methods
- E-mail to enforce@access-board.gov;
- Fax to (202) 272-0081; or
- Mail to:
Compliance and Enforcement Section
Office of the General Counsel
U.S. Access Board
1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1111
Note: Due to office closures caused by Covid-19, we recommend not filing by mail or fax since staff is not present in the office to receive that correspondence.
How We Handle Your Complaint
Within two weeks after filing a complaint, you will receive a formal acknowledgement letter (or e-mail, if you prefer) if you provided your contact information to us. This acknowledgment letter (or e-mail) will contain the information about your complaint, as well as the investigation process and applicable federal law, and contact information for the compliance specialist investigating your complaint.
We investigate the complaints to determine whether the building or facility is subject to the ABA. If we determine the building or facility is subject to the ABA, we further investigate to determine if the identified barriers violate an applicable standard. Depending on the result of our investigation, we work with the responsible agency to remedy the identified accessibility barriers or, if we find no violations under the ABA, we will provide you with suggestions on which other entities might be able to assist you.
Statement Concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act
Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and its implementing regulations at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3), note that the United States Access Board may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB Control Number. The Online ABA Complaint Form has OMB Control Number 3014-0012 (Expiration Date: 9/30/2023).