June 3rd, 2021
by Tara Lukasik

The City of Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) have partnered with the International Code Council to offer an eight-hour virtual training course for architects, engineers and builders on the accessibility provisions of the 2019 Chicago Construction Codes.

The course will focus on the minimum requirements for new construction and rehabilitation of commercial and residential buildings for compliance with the accessibility provisions of the 2019 Chicago Building Code and the 2019 Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code. These codes incorporate requirements from the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards (ADA Standards), Fair Housing Act regulations, ICC A117.1-2009 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, and the 2018 Illinois Accessibility Code. The course will address the design of buildings and facilities to ensure that people with physical disabilities and people who are blind/low vision or deaf/hard of hearing can use the facilities.

Instructors include Kim Paarlberg, a senior staff architect with the Code Council, and staff from the DOB and MOPD. Paarlberg serves as code development secretary for the International Building Code (IBC) Means of Egress/Accessibility committee and the IBC and International Residential Code (IRC) Structural committees. She is the Code Council representative for the development of the referenced technical standard, ICC/ANSI A117.1 “Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.” Paarlberg is the staff for the ICC Health Care Committee and the Building Code Action Committee. She is also the secretariat for the ICC 300 — Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating and Grandstands, and the ICC 500 — Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.

The eight hours of content will be split over two days, with training scheduled from 8:30 to 12:30 a.m. CT on June 7 and June 8, 2021. Registrants must attend both days to receive continuing education credit. HSW approval for this content is pending. The City of Chicago has made special arrangements with the Code Council to offer this program at a reduced registration cost of $30 per attendee. In order to receive the discounted rate, you must enter the discount code (19CHIC-AUCR) at registration checkout.

For more information, click here.

To register, please visit.

About the Author
Tara Lukasik
Tara Lukasik is the periodicals editor for the International Code Council, working out of the Western Regional Office in Southern California. Starting with the International Conference of Building Officials as the managing editor of its Building Standards Magazine, she has more than 25 years of experience in writing and editing feature content and advancing digital newsletters and magazines from conception to completion. She is currently putting her experience to good use managing the Code Council's Building Safety Journal and its BSJ Weekly newsletter, which connects construction professionals with the Code Council community and the latest industry news and resources. A California native, she enjoys volunteering in her local community and exploring the Golden State with her husband and two spoiled dachshunds. Follow her on Twitter @ICCTLukasik