ADA Restroom Compliance

ADA restoom compliance makes it easier for diabled people to function independently.

ADA restroom compliance ensures that disabled men, women and children can use washrooms in newly renovated or constructed buildings and structures. The Americans with Disability Act, passed by Congress in July 1990, makes it illegal to discriminate against people who have disabilities. The requirements for technical compliance seek to make access easier for the disable without encroaching on the usability of the space for people who do not have disabilities.

Application

Hotels, theaters, medical facilities, sports arenas, educational institutions, large-scale public projects and other facilities have an obligation to conform to the ADA standards for restrooms. The United States Access Board has the authority to develop and implement the standards, or ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), public restrooms must meet for ADA regulations.

Doors

An ADA-compliant rest room door has a maximum force of five pounds necessary to pull or push the door open and a minimum width of 32 inches. The optimal width for wheelchair maneuverability requires a 36-inch door. Mechanisms like levers, locks, latches, pulls and other devices should have user-friendly shapes that make them easy for disabled individuals to grasp and operate and within 48 inches from the floor.

Toilets

Toilets must not have spring-loaded seating and require a fixed height of 17 to 19 inches. Locate the flush control device on the wide side of the toilet and no more than 40 inches from the floor surface. The toilet paper dispenser must be a continuous roll-type unit reachable no more than 19 inches from the floor.

Stalls

Stalls with floor-mounted toilets need at least one stall with a depth of 59 inches and a width of 60 inches. The center line of the toilet should fall exactly 18 inches from the near side. ADA rules call for 32 inches of clearance between the toilet and the far wall. Toilets located in front of the stall door (or wall) need a clearance of 48 inches from the front of the toilet. Toilets positioned to the side of the stall must have a 60-inch clearance.

The walls of each stall must have toe clearance at least 9 inches from the floor when the stall does not exceed 60 inches wide. In restrooms with six or more stalls, one stall must have dimensions exactly 36 inches wide, grab bars on the sides and an outward swinging, self-closing door.

Urinals

Rest rooms must have wall-hung and stall-type rim urinals installed no higher than 17 inches from the floor and with 29-inch privacy guards that do not extend beyond the edge of the urinal. The urinal needs a clear space of 48 by 30 inches to facilitate wheelchair approach from the front. The flush controls cannot exceed 44 inches from the floor or install automatic valves.

Sinks and Mirrors

The area from the bottom apron of a sink to the floor must have a clearance of 29 inches, which allows room for the knees and toes of wheel-chair bound people. The distance from the bowl surface to the floor cannot exceed 34 inches. The maximum height from the bottom of a mirror to the floor cannot exceed 40 inches.

Grab Bars

ADA-approved grabs bars require dimensions of 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches wide. Make the spacing between the bars and the wall at least 1-1/2 inches. For recessed grab bars, make the depth of the space at least 3 inches and the distance above the rail of 18 inches.

References

• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Doors
• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Doors
• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Stalls
• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Urinals
• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Lavatories and Mirrors

Resources

• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Grab Bars
• • Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers: Homepage