Our Blog

A look back at how life safety relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what has changed on the United States Capitol campus over the past 25 years. For example, fire alarms are now required to have flashing strobe lights, in addition to an audible sound.

When Visitor Guide John Claya encountered a guest with a visual disability near the Old Supreme Court Chamber, he used a creative tool to help her "see" the room.

The AOC's Facilities Planning and Programming Division incorporates seemingly small improvements into the design of our facilities and their outside environments, helping not only those with disabilities, but each one of us.

The U.S. Botanic Garden is committed to welcoming every visitor by providing accessible facilities and inclusive programming. Several efforts ensure that all can explore the USBG, including accessible routes, hand rails, all-terrain wheelchairs for loan, guides available in Braille and more.

The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center provides many accessibility services from shuttles, ramps and escalators to touchable objects and open captioning. We work closely with the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services on several fronts. Visitors may request wheelchairs at the North Coat Check.

The Cannon Renewal team is using ground penetrating radar to help workers see what's inside the concrete of the Cannon Building.

Few traditions associated with Senate furniture are as intriguing as the "candy desk" on the floor of the Senate.

The restoration of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda will ensure this hallowed space will be enjoyed by generations for years to come. Work includes removing hazardous materials, restoring ironwork, upgrading electrical and mechanical systems, installing new lighting and repainting.

The AOC cares for the benches in the United States Capitol Rotunda whose cast-iron supports and arms were based on a design sketched by Constantino Brumidi in 1859. These benches have also called a few other locations home over the years, including Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.

As volunteers, the time commitment for AOC employees who mentor is not huge, but the impact they have on the students' lives certainly is.

The Senate Office Buildings Painting and Refinishing Branch gives hands-on attention to help blend vintage and new into a cohesive collection.

Because weather and time have not been kind to the Grant Memorial, AOC staff developed a preservation strategy to restore the Grant Memorial to its original condition.

High in the sky, about 50 feet above the roof, a crane is peeking out of the Cannon House Office Building. This tower crane is part of the AOC's renewal project to improve and preserve the building, making it more efficient, comfortable and safer, while retaining its historic grandeur.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death, AOC Curator Barbara Wolanin details the days he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol.

Many ornamental and functional cast iron parts of the U.S. Capitol Dome are so broken and badly damaged that they cannot be repaired on site. For the restoration, we traveled to the Salt Lake City foundry to see firsthand how the work to re-create these pieces is done.