Assistive Listening Knowledge Base
  • Regulation

Department of Justice ADA Title III Regulation 28 CFR Part 36 (1991), including the 1991 Standards for Accessible Design

From https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/evidence/doj-1991-ada-standards/ · record checked 13 October 2026

  • US Department of Justice
  • US Department of Justice (archived ada.gov)

Government (US Department of Justice)

Summary

The original Title III regulation and design standards establish the historical assistive-listening requirements used before the 2010 revision.

Key findings

  • The page identifies 26 July 1991 as the publication date of the regulation.
  • Appendix A, 4.1.3(19)(b), requires permanent systems in assembly areas where audible communication is integral, there is fixed seating, and either capacity is at least 50 persons or audio amplification is provided. Other assembly areas require a permanent system or outlets or wiring to support a portable system.
  • The same clause requires receivers for at least 4% of seats, with a minimum of two, and signs announcing availability.
  • Section 4.33.7 identifies induction loops, infrared and radio-frequency systems and relates selection to setting, programme and audience.

Limits

Historical regulation, not a statement of the current rule for a particular building. The 2010 Standards and their transition provisions must be consulted for later work; this record does not determine any existing facility exception.

Read the original

archive.ada.gov/reg3a.html

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Cited in

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Cite this source

US Department of Justice. Department of Justice ADA Title III Regulation 28 CFR Part 36 (1991), including the 1991 Standards for Accessible Design. US Department of Justice (archived ada.gov). 26 July 1991. https://archive.ada.gov/reg3a.html (accessed 13 October 2026).

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