The United States Access Board will hold a public town hall meeting on Wednesday, July 9 from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (CT) at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. Presidentially appointed Access Board members and representatives from other federal member agencies will be present to hear from the local community about the state of accessibility in Louisiana. Representatives from the Office of Governor Jeff Landry and the City of New Orleans will also be present.
Following the public comment period, members of the public will be able to meet and speak with presidentially appointed board members and representatives from other federal agencies.
The town hall meeting is open to all members of the public. Please register for in-person attendance by July 2, 2025. To register, send an email to [email protected] with your name and organization (if applicable). The Access Board invites in-person comments on accessibility. Registrants who wish to make in-person comments must indicate their request to speak when emailing [email protected]. Public commenters will be allotted two minutes to make their comments. Please note that participation in this event is only available to in-person attendees, but the full town hall will be livestreamed to the Access Board’s YouTube channel.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Transcription (CART) services will be provided. The Access Board has a fragrance-free environment policy and requests that all attendees refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, and other fragrances and use unscented personal care products. Requests for other reasonable accommodations must be submitted by June 25, 2025, to Rose Marie Bunales at [email protected].
Each year, the Access Board visits a city outside of Washington, DC, to learn about the state of accessibility around the country. During the week of July 7, 2025, the Access Board will, in addition to the town hall, host and attend a series of meetings to better understand the accessibility barriers and successes experienced by people with disabilities in the New Orleans area. Details regarding these meetings and their outcomes will be provided in a forthcoming news release.
US Access Board Town Hall Meeting
July 9, 2025, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (CT)
New Orleans Marriott
Acadia and Bissonnet Ballrooms (3rd floor)
555 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Registration: Provide full name and organization (if any) to [email protected]
At the upcoming 2025 National Federation of the Blind National Convention, the United States Access Board will be providing three engaging breakout sessions on the following topics:
Access Board Section 508 Activity and Information Updates: Participants will be provided with current updates on the Board’s Section 508 activities.
Overview of the Access Board and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA): Participants will gain a foundational understanding of the Access Board’s key functions, including enforcement of the ABA which requires all federal facilities to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG): Participants will be provided with an overview of the Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines with an emphasis on the guidelines for pedestrian access routes, detectable warnings, accessible pedestrian signals, roundabouts, and other components that are of particular interest to people who are blind or who have low vision.
In addition to the breakout sessions, the Access Board will be hosting their annual town hall meeting in conjunction with the National Convention at the New Orleans Marriott.
The US Access Board is an independent federal agency that advances accessibility through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Access Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. The Access Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, public right-of-way, information and communication technology, and medical diagnostic equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and other laws. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and continues to enforce accessibility standards that apply to federally funded facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA).
The Access Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among federal agencies and directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities. Its Governing Board is a twenty-five-member board. Twelve of its members are representatives from most of the federal departments. Thirteen others, who are appointed by the President, are members of the public, and most of them must have a disability.
Some key functions of the Access Board include:
Development of Accessibility Guidelines and Standards: The Board establishes design criteria under the ADA, ABA, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, among other federal laws. The Board is a leading source on accessible standards for the United States and engages with international partners to support their own accessibility standards and guidelines.
Enforcement of the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA): The Board ensures that facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with federal funds comply with ABA standards by investigating complaints and enforcing accessibility requirements.
Technical Assistance and Training: The agency offers guidance and training on its accessibility guidelines and standards to various stakeholders, including federal agencies, architects, and the public, to facilitate compliance and promote best practices in accessible design. The agency’s technical assistance (TA) services are available to everyone, including international partners. Contact the Board’s TA helpline at 1-202-272-0080, extension 3, and by email at [email protected] from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (ET) weekdays.
Learn more about the US Access Board on its website https://www.access-board.gov, where you can also sign up for email updates to get notified of upcoming Board meetings, webinars, trainings, and other events. General inquiries can be directed to [email protected].