 Brian D. Black, President of BDBlack & Associates in Hamburg, N.Y., passed away Aug. 23 at the age of 60. Black worked for more than 30 years in the field of accessibility for persons with disabilities, including serving as the Director of Building Codes & Standards for the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association and United Spinal Association, and as a member of ICC's Consensus Committee on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (ICC [ASC A117]).
Appointed to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Advisory Committee that drafted the 2004 ADAAG requirements for the U.S. Access Board, Black chaired its Accessible Route Subcommittee and was awarded a National Performance Review Award by then-Vice President Al Gore for his efforts. Black also testified before Congress on the efficacy of building codes to promote accessibility for persons with disabilities and served on an ISO committee that developed international standards for accessible elevator controls.
Black was named Code and Safety Consultant for the National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) in 2007. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators Standards, Hoistway, Emergency Operations, Outdoor Evacuation Elevators and Code Coordination Committees, and the ASME Qualification of Elevator Inspectors Committee. After forming his consulting firm, Black continued his work on elevators and accessibility as the NEII representative on ICC (ASC A117).
In addition to ICC, NEII and ASME, Black also was a member of the National Fire Protection Association and Canadian Standards Association. He authored three books: 2006 I-Codes and Federal Disability Law: Through an Accessible Looking Glass; ADA and Building Transportation; and Accessibility in State-Owned Buildings and Facilities; as well as numerous articles on accessibility, vertical building transportation for persons with disabilities, and life safety requirements for mobility impaired persons. |
