ADA Title III Accessibility Compliance
The section of the Americans with Disabilities Act requiring places of public accommodation to be accessible. New construction and most alterations must follow the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design in full, while an existing building that isn't being altered only has to remove barriers when doing so is "readily achievable," a lower, more flexible bar.
Why it matters
The compliance bar shifts dramatically the moment a project crosses from a minor repair into an "alteration," a renovation that trips that line can suddenly owe full accessibility upgrades to areas the project never intended to touch, like the path of travel leading to the work.
On a real project
A restaurant renovating its kitchen doesn't have to touch its dining room restrooms under the readily-achievable standard, but if that same renovation also alters the dining room itself, the restrooms along the path of travel to the kitchen may now have to meet full 2010 Standards.
Who this matters most to
A Permit Expediter flags ADA scope early in the permitting process, since a plan reviewer catching a missed accessibility requirement late can stall a permit for weeks.
Where this goes wrong
A renovation crosses the line from minor repair into a full alteration without anyone updating the accessible path of travel to match, and a plan reviewer rejects the permit application over the gap, forcing a redesign after the contractor had already priced and scheduled the original scope.