2010 ADA Definition
Place of Public Accommodation: Place of public accommodation means a facility operated by a private entity whose operations affect commerce and fall within at least one of the following categories –
(1) Place of lodging, except for an establishment located within a facility that contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and that actually is occupied by the proprietor of the establishment as the residence of the proprietor. For purposes of this part, a facility is a "place of lodging" if it is – (i) An inn, hotel, or motel; or
(ii) A facility that – (A) Provides guest rooms for sleeping for stays that primarily are short-term in nature (generally 30 days or less) where the occupant does not have the right to return to a specific room or unit after the conclusion of his or her stay; and
(B) Provides guest rooms under conditions and with amenities similar to a hotel, motel, or inn, including the following – (1) On- or off-site management and reservations service;
(2) Rooms available on a walk-up or call-in basis;
(3) Availability of housekeeping or linen service; and
(4) Acceptance of reservations for a guest room type without guaranteeing a particular unit or room until check-in, and without a prior lease or security deposit.
(2) A restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink;
(3) A motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;
(4) An auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering;
(5) A bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping center, or other sales or rental establishment;
(6) A laundromat, dry-cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop, travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station, office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office, professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other service establishment;
(7) A terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation;
(8) A museum, library, gallery, or other place of public display or collection;
(9) A park, zoo, amusement park, or other place of recreation;
(10) A nursery, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate private school, or other place of education;
(11) A day care center, senior citizen center, homeless shelter, food bank, adoption agency, or other social service center establishment; and
(12) A gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, golf course, or other place of exercise or recreation.
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Research and History > Regulations and Standards History > Equality of Opportunity: The Making of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Looking to the Twenty-First Century
accessible bridge to the twenty-first century, we cannot be satisfied until all citizens with disabilities receive equal treatment under the law—whether in the workplace, in schools, in places...
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State and Local Documents > Codes and Standards > 2022 California Standards
11B-224.7.2 Accessible dwelling units with adaptable features
and Alterations; Housing at a Place of Education....
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State and Local Documents > Codes and Standards > 2013 California Standards for Accessible Design Pocket Guide
SECTION 3101B SCOPE
SECTION 3101B SCOPE
[DSA-AC] Refer to Chapter 11B for accessibility provisions applicable to public accommodations, commercial buildings and public housing....
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Federal Documents > Preamble to Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix B: Preamble to Regulation on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (1991 ADA Title III Regulations Preamble)
Section 36.307 Accessible or Special Goods (Section-By-Section Analysis and Response to Comments)
Section 36.307 Accessible or Special Goods (Section-By-Section Analysis and Response to Comments)
Section 36.307 establishes that the rule does not require a public accommodation to alter...
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Federal Documents > Preamble to Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix C: Guidance on ADA Regulation on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations: 1991 Preamble and Section-by-Section Analysis)
Elevator Exemption (Preamble, Section-by-Section Analysis)
The Department has declined to include places of public accommodation other than sales or rental establishments in the definition....
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Federal Documents > Preamble to Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix B: Preamble to Regulation on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (1991 ADA Title III Regulations Preamble)
Elevator Exemption (Section-By-Section Analysis and Response to Comments)
The Department has declined to include places of public accommodation other than sales or rental establishments in the definition....
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Federal Documents > Technical Assistance > Withdrawn Technical Assistance: Title III Highlights
X. Alterations
Alterations after January 26, 1992, to existing places of public accommodation and commercial facilities must be accessible to the maximum extent feasible. ...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.302(f)(5)(iii)(B) Series-of-events tickets when ownership rights are attached
When series-of-events tickets with an ownership right in accessible seating areas are forfeited or otherwise returned to a public accommodation, the public accommodation shall make reasonable...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 35 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services (2010 ADA Title II Regulations with amendments issued through Aug. 2016)
Hotel Reservations. (Section-by-Section Analysis)
In the NPRM, at § 36.302(e), the Department proposed adding specific language to title III addressing the requirements that hotels, timeshare resorts, and other places of lodging make reasonable...
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State and Local Documents > Codes and Standards > 2022 California Standards
[ADA Title III §36.403(b)] Primary function
the customer services lobby of a bank, the dining area of a cafeteria, the meeting rooms in a conference center, as well as offices and other work areas in which the activities of the public...
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State and Local Documents > Codes and Standards > 2025 California Standards
[ADA Title III §36.403(b)] Primary function
the customer services lobby of a bank, the dining area of a cafeteria, the meeting rooms in a conference center, as well as offices and other work areas in which the activities of the public...
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Federal Documents > Standards > 2010 ADA Standards
Security Glazing: ADA Standard Section 904.6
Where counters or teller windows have security glazing to separate personnel from the public, a method to facilitate voice communication shall be provided....
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Legal Documents > SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE CITY OF CHESAPEAKE REGARDING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACES
BACKGROUND
Title II also prohibits public entities from selecting facilities to be used as polling places that have the effect of excluding individuals with disabilities from or denying them the benefits...
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Legal Documents > SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND FAUQUIER COUNTY REGARDING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACES
BACKGROUND
Title II also prohibits public entities from selecting facilities to be used as polling places that have the effect of excluding individuals with disabilities from or denying them the benefits...
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Additional Access Publications > Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Introduction
Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and resources for additional information...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.205 Association.
A public accommodation shall not exclude or otherwise deny equal goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, accommodations, or other opportunities to an individual or entity because...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.302(c)(3)
If a public accommodation properly excludes a service animal under §36.302(c)(2), it shall give the individual with a disability the opportunity to obtain goods, services, and accommodations...
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Federal Documents > Preamble to Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix C: Guidance on ADA Regulation on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations: 1991 Preamble and Section-by-Section Analysis)
Section 36.303 Auxiliary Aids and Services (Preamble, Section-by-Section Analysis)
In its analysis of the ADA’s auxiliary aids requirement for public accommodations, the House Education and Labor Committee stated that it ‘‘expects’’ that ‘‘public accommodation(s) will...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.302(f)(4)(i) General
For each ticket for a wheelchair space purchased by an individual with a disability or a third-party purchasing such a ticket at his or her request, a public accommodation shall make available...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.303(c)(4)
(4) A public accommodation shall not rely on a minor child to interpret or facilitate communication, except in an emergency involving an imminent threat to the safety or welfare of an individual...
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Corada Voices > General Comments or Questions
Building Directories
By: Pat Hodges
Standards at 216 (see below) specifically exempt building directories from complying with the ADA, there is a requirement in the ADA's Title III Regulations at §36.303(c)(1) (see below) that a public...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
§ 36.301(a) General
A public accommodation shall not impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities...
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Federal Documents > Regulations > 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (1991 ADA Title III Regulations)
Sec.36.301(a) General
A public accommodation shall not impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities...