The Department of Justice released the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design in September 2010, which set minimum requirements for newly designed and constructed or altered State and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.[1]

IBC 2000 and IBC 2003 are referenced within the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design for areas such as a means of egress and areas of refuge. Section 207 of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Accessible Means of Egress) requires that the means of egress must comply with Section 1003.2.13 of the International Building Code (2000 edition and 2001 Supplement) or section 1007 of the International Building Code (2003 edition).

Like the IBC, the ADA Standards require at least one accessible means of egress for every accessible space and at least two accessible means of egress are required where more than one means of egress is required. The accessible means of egress can include the use of exit stairways and evacuation elevators, when provided in conjunction with horizontal exits or areas of refuge. Standard elevators are not designed to be used during an emergency evacuation and will usually return to an entrance level when the building goes into alarm mode, but evacuation elevators are designed with standby power and other features according to the elevator safety standard and may be used for the evacuation of people with disabilities. The ADA Standards also acknowledge the need outlined in the IBC for areas of refuge, being fire-rated spaces on levels above or below the exit discharge levels where people unable to use stairs can go to register a call for assistance and wait for evacuation.

[1] Department of Justice, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, p.1