Local cities and counties have building officials who regulate construction in their jurisdiction. The "building official" is the officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or the building official's duly authorized representative in accordance with state law.
The current California Building Standards Code was written to provide a single code which would meet all of the most stringent requirements of the original California Building Standards Code, as well as the 1991 Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. The regulations in California were developed by the Division of the State Architect, Access Compliance, eight years before the United States Congress passed the ADA. Why are the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) requirements more stringent than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements? Access is to be provided to, through, and within the buildings, without loss of function, space, or facility where the general public is concerned. It is the intent of the California Legislature that the building standards published in the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) relating to accessibility by people with disabilities shall be used as minimum requirements to ensure that buildings, structures, and related facilities are accessible to, and functional for, every member of the public, so as to provide equal opportunity to access public accommodations. What is the purpose of the California accessibility requirements? By comparison, "accessibility" has traditionally focused on addressing the needs of a few people with separate circumstances from those of the public at large, when in fact almost everyone is, over the course of their lifetime, quite able to benefit from barrier-free design, user-friendly architecture, and comfortable environments. It recognizes the changing diversity of needs important to all types of people regardless of their varying age, ability, or condition, during an entire life. "Universal design" is a broader, more comprehensive "design-for-all" approach to the development of architecture around human diversity. What is the difference between "accessibility" and "universal design"?
"Accessibility" is the combination of various elements in a building or area which allows access, circulation, and the full use of the building and facilities by persons with disabilities.