TDLR marks July 26 anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by asking qualified individuals to become Registered Accessibility Specialists
July 23, 2025
AUSTIN – Thirty-five years after the implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is urging qualified individuals to consider becoming a Registered Accessibility Specialist to help build Texas and ensure the state remains accessible for all. As the state grows, and businesses build or renovate commercial facilities, the need for Registered Accessibility Specialists also grows.
Registered Accessibility Specialists (also known as RASes) review and inspect those construction projects to ensure that the projects are designed and constructed to comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards, which eliminates unnecessary architectural barriers encountered by persons with disabilities.
Although 20,000+ construction projects are registered statewide each year with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), only 551 people are licensed in Texas to review and inspect those projects to ensure that the projects are designed and constructed to comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards.
All publicly funded, commercial facility, and public accommodation construction projects subject to the Texas Architectural Barriers Act must comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards. Projects with an estimated cost of $50,000 or more must also have their project registered with TDLR and reviewed and inspected by a RAS.
RASes may work as consultants in architecture firms, work for inspection companies, or work as independent contractors. They are usually interested in safety for persons with disabilities, the ongoing need to eliminate unnecessary architectural barriers encountered by persons with disabilities and want to improve the overall quality of construction in general.
If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a RAS, consider these options:
Here are three paths to becoming a RAS:
- Option 1: Degree (architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, or equivalent) and one year of experience related to building inspection, building planning, accessibility design, or review, or equivalent.
- Option 2: Eight years of experience related to building inspection, building planning, accessibility design, review, or equivalent.
- Option 3: Certification as an accessibility specialist granted by a model building code organization and four years of experience related to building inspection, building planning, accessibility design, review, or equivalent.
All three paths require passing a written examination covering the Texas Accessibility Standards and other information related to the Elimination of Architectural Barriers program. Learn more about becoming a RAS: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ab/
[Editors, a video PSA is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
