Go directly to content »

Accessibility Policy

The U.S. House of Representatives is fully accessible to people with disabilities.  There are a variety of services available to people visiting the Capitol and to those visiting online.

Accessibility on the House Campus in Washington, DC

The Office of Congressional Accessibility Services (OCAS) provides a variety of services for individuals with disabilities. These services include adaptive tours of the Capitol building, wheelchair loans, and interpreting services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  • Wheelchairs are available for use by visitors in the Capitol Complex. Individuals entering through the Capitol Visitor Center may make a wheelchair request at the coat check areas. Constituents visiting for other purposes may request the use of a wheelchair through their Member’s office.
  • Sign Language / Interpreting Services: Sign language / interpreting services are available for official activities including public tours, press conferences, and constituent meetings with Senators, Representatives, and staff. Requests for interpreting services must be arranged through a Member’s office.
  • Accessible entrances to the Capitol and the House and Senate Office Buildings are as follows:
    • Capitol Visitor Center - Main entrance at First and East Capitol streets.
    • Capitol - Public tours enter through the Capitol Visitor Center; Official House business enters on the south side of the Capitol; Official Senate business enters on the north side of the Capitol.”
    • Cannon House Office Building - Entrance on New Jersey Avenue, SE, south of the terrace at the intersection with Independence Avenue.
    • Longworth House Office Building - Main entrance, Independence and New Jersey Avenues.
    • Rayburn House Office Building - Main entrance, horseshoe drive off South Capitol Street.
    • Ford House Office Building - Entrance on 3rd Street, SW, near intersection with D Street, SW.
    • Russell Senate Office Building - Delaware entrance on ground level closest to Constitution Avenue.
    • Dirksen Senate Office Building - First Street and C Street entrance.
    • Hart Senate Office Building - Second Street entrance.
  • Parking: Public parking is very limited around the Capitol Complex. The District of Columbia does recognize accessible parking permits issued by the states and territories. Parking is not allowed where stopping, standing or parking is prohibited to all vehicles, in spaces reserved for special vehicles (buses, taxis, etc), or where it would clearly be a traffic hazard. Visitors who have an appointment in a Member's office may request accessible parking through that office.

More comprehensive information—including assistive listening devices, public TTY locations, tour details, service animals, family restrooms, and a shuttle to Capitol Visitor Center—is available from the Architect of the Capitol. If you have any accessibility questions, please call the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services at 202-224-4048.

Online Accessibility

If you are having a problem accessing this Web site please let us know and we will work to ensure accessibility. If you have any difficulty viewing any page with adaptive technology, please contact us so that we can improve this website. Please be as specific as possible in your description of the problem(s) encountered as well as the location on the web site.

Online Accessibility Standards

In order to maximize accessibility, this site has been designed to conform with:

Site Tools

The following applications are offered to help interpret page content:

Adobe Acrobat Reader download Portable Document Format (PDF) files can be read with a PDF Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader allows you to read PDFs and complete PDF forms for printing. Download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

BrowseAloud download Browsealoud is a screen reader developed for people who may find it difficult to read text online or for those who may have literacy problems and/or learning disabilities such as dyslexia. It is also a beneficial tool for those for whom English is a second language and may have trouble reading. Browsealoud allows you to "listen" to the contents of the web page you are viewing. Download the latest version of Browsealoud.

QuickTime Player download QuickTime can be used to view video and listen to audio. Players are available for several operating systems and platforms. Download the latest version of QuickTime Media Player.

Real Player download RealPlayer can be used to view video and listen to audio.  Players are available for several operating systems and platforms. Download the latest version of RealPlayer.

VLC Media Player download VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, and ogg) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. Download the latest version of VLC Media Player.

WIndows Media Player download Windows Media Player plays video and audio files on Windows operating systems. Download the latest version of Windows Media Player.

Telecommunications for the Deaf (TTY/TDD)

Phone numbers for House and Senate offices, both voice and TTY, are available by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (TTY). Additional useful numbers are listed below:

Office of Congressional Accessibility Services: 202-224-4048 (voice) or 202-224-4049 (TTY)
Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339 (voice/TTY)
Washington, DC, Relay Service: 202-855-1000 (voice) 202-855-1234 (TTY)