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Chapter 8 › II.E–F Accessibility; Path of Travel

Will FEMA pay for accessibility upgrades when we repair a building?

FEMA term
Accessibility for individuals with disabilities; path of travel
Short answer

Yes. ADA and other disability-rights requirements triggered by the repair are eligible, whether or not the facility complied before, unless you were cited for a violation before the disaster and didn’t fix it. Path-of-travel upgrades are capped at 20 percent of the cost to restore the primary function area.

What FEMA requires

  • Path-of-travel work can include accessible entrances, routes, parking, restrooms, water fountains and emergency routes serving a damaged primary function area.
  • Alterations must have a reasonable, technically supportable relationship to the damaged elements, such as grab bars, larger stalls or accessible faucets.
  • Above the 20 percent cap, prioritize the elements that provide the most access.
  • Requirements triggered by ineligible repairs are ineligible.
  • Historic buildings may have exceptions, worked out with the historic preservation officer.
<table class="pt-table"><thead><tr><th>Situation</th><th>Eligible?</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>ADA upgrades triggered by an eligible repair</td><td>Yes, even if not compliant before</td></tr><tr><td>Facility cited for a violation before the disaster and not corrected</td><td>No, for that violation</td></tr><tr><td>Path-of-travel improvements to undamaged areas serving the damaged primary function area</td><td>Yes, up to 20% of the primary function area restoration cost</td></tr></tbody></table>

Documentation

The accessibility requirements triggered, the primary function area repair cost, and the path-of-travel cost calculation.

Watch out · Govstar practitioner advice

Calculate the 20 percent cap from the full primary function area repair cost, including roof, HVAC and associated rooms. Leaving those out shrinks your cap.

Govstar summarizes FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide in plain language and links to the official text. Govstar is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. This is general guidance, not legal advice.