Consensus Body
The ACCT Consensus Body plays an integral role in ACCT’s ANSI Standards Development process and embodies the ANSI ethos of balance and fair representation of stakeholder interests. Membership on the Consensus Body is open to all interested parties having a direct and material interest in the activities of the Consensus Body. The Consensus Body must be sufficiently diverse to ensure reasonable balance without dominance by any single interest group.
The ACCT Consensus Body is primarily responsible for:
- Voting on the approval of American National Standards within its scope.
- Complying with policy and procedures for official interpretations of the ANSI/ACCT Standards.
ACCT Consensus Body Interest Categories
All members of the Consensus Body shall be classified into interest categories. The interest category of a voting member of the Consensus Body reflects the business or other interests of their primary source of support for participation in the Consensus Body.
The ACCT Consensus Body consists of members representing five (5) interest categories, as specified in ACCT’s Accredited Procedures (AP). Interest categories, at a minimum, will include Producer, Servicer, User - Commercial, User - Educational, and General Interest representatives in accordance with the definitions listed below. Additional categories may be appended during the submission of a project to the ANSI Project Initiation Notification System (PINS). If a current project calls for additional interest categories, they will be listed below.
A. Producer. This category includes representatives of interests directly involved in making or producing products, materials, courses or structures for User (see c., d.), including and not limited to: manufacturing of hardware, equipment, and gear; designing, constructing, and maintaining aerial adventure structures and challenge courses.
B. Servicer. This category includes representatives of interests directly involved in providing services to Users, including and not limited to: engineering, inspecting, training, reviewing operations, and reselling hardware and equipment. Services may also include training of operating personnel, providing insurance (for non-self-insured agencies), designing curriculum and producing documentation.
C. User - Commercial. This category includes representatives of interests directly involved in operating challenge courses, including and not limited to facilities offering facilitated, guided, and self-guided (or monitored) programs where the primary aim of the program or structure is recreational, and individuals who work as managers, guides, or monitors at commercial programs. Examples of facilities that use challenge courses for commercial purposes include: aerial parks, zip line tours, recreation and fitness programs, family entertainment centers, parks, and destination locations/resorts.
D. User - Educational. This category includes representatives of interests directly involved in operating challenge courses, including and not limited to facilities offering facilitated, guided, and self-guided (or monitored) programs where the primary aim of the program or structure is educational, and individuals who work as managers, facilitators, guides, or monitors at educational programs. Examples of facilities that use challenge courses for educational purposes include: educational entities, camps, retreat centers, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, community service organizations, social service agencies, and community entities.
E. General Interest. This category includes representatives with a variety of perspectives that are not Producers, Servicers, or Users. Examples include and are not limited to: regulatory agencies, trade associations (that represent interests other than Producers, Servicers, and Users), standards writing organizations, consumer groups, environmental groups, researchers, and members of the general public.
Consensus Body Members
ACCT is currently in the process of convening a Consensus Body to serve for the Revision of ANSI/ACCT 03-2019. A roster will be posted once the body is seated. For current updates, please check our News Updates.
ACCT Consensus Body Membership
The ACCT Consensus Body is currently seeking members in all five (5) interest categories. If you or your organization is interested, please submit an application to join the ACCT Consensus Body.
Consensus Body Meetings and Membership
ACCT is currently in the process of convening a Consensus Body to serve for the Revision of ANSI/ACCT 03-2019. Meetings will be posted in the near future. For current updates, please check our News Updates.
ACCT's ANSI Accredited Procedures
ACCT's ANSI Standards Development Activities are governed by its Accredited Procedures, formally titled, "Organization, Development, and Maintenance of Challenge Course Standards by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT)."
Download the ACCT Accredited Procedures
RESOURCES
NEXT STEPS
ACCT STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
- ACCT’s Standards Development Process. Learn more about ACCT’s ACCT Standards Development Process. Digital resources, answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and information to help you learn when and how to get involved.
- Current ANS Development Project. Learn more about ACCT’s current Standards projects.
- ACCT Board of Directors. View roster, upcoming meetings, ACCT guiding documents, and minutes from previous meetings; register to attend an upcoming Board Meeting.
- ACCT Consensus Body. View roster of the ACCT Consensus Body, view meeting schedule and minutes, register to observe a meeting, and apply to be a Consensus Body Member.
- ACCT Accredited Procedures. Download Procedures for Organization, Development, and Maintenance of Challenge Course Standards by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), ACCT’s governing document for ANS Development.
- Frequently Asked Questions. A collection of the Standards FAQs from the pages in this section.
- ANSI Essential Requirements. View and download ANSI Essential Requirements.
- Understanding Standards Development Definitions and Acronyms. A guide to understanding common terminology, abbreviations, and acronyms found in the Standards Development Process.
- Contact the ASD. Submit requests for official interpretation, comments on a draft project, ideas for projects or revisions, and unsolicited feedback, suggestions, or errata.