The new 2010 updates to the original 1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design were announced by President Barack Obama on July 27 2010, and are now available on the ADA website.

There are new requirements for recreation facilities such as amusement parks and pools, and public facilities such as courthouses and correctional facilities. Additional changes to the 1991 Standards include reach range requirements on accessible elements, and new regulations for accessible routes in workplaces, assembly areas, and parking structures.

President Obama also signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The UN Enable supports efforts to improve the situation for persons with disabilities in disaster situations such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan as well as many other initiatives to educate the public and increase the rights and dignity of persons living with disabilities.