The first step to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is the creation of a

• A. Training program
• B. Policy manual
• C. Needs assessment
• D. Accessibility audit

Answer: (C)

Starting with a needs assessment focuses your efforts on what actually needs changing. This step gathers information about current practices, facilities, programs, and services, and it brings in input from stakeholders to identify who is affected and where barriers exist. The result is a clear, prioritized understanding of required accommodations, policy changes, and resource needs. With that roadmap in hand, you can design targeted training, develop appropriate policies, and plan audits or accessibility improvements more effectively. Jumping straight to a training program or a policy manual risks addressing issues that aren’t the real barriers, and an accessibility audit is most useful after you’ve identified what needs to be fixed.