Starting the new year (2011) on the right foot is a great way to help set the tone for the new year.

So we at YTA have decided that the best way to do that is to help all you out there notice a few of the conflicts between State and Federal Law. The state in question, of course, is California.

Between the updated 2010 Federal requirements of disabled access under the ADA for all businesses serving the public and the updated 2010 California Building Code (CBC) there are a variety of common conflicts business owners should be aware of.  Some of the common conflicts include:

1. While the CBC never allows a maximum slope of over 8.33% (1:12) the ADA has allowances for steeper slopes if the slope rises less than 3 inches the maximum slope is 12.5% (1:8).  If the rise is 6 inches the maximum slope lowers to 10% (1:10).
2. Ramps runs under the CBC can only rise to a maximum of 30 inches per run but as the length of the ramp run increases, the maximum slope decreases.  E.g., a ramp run that is 465 inches long cannot have a slope greater than 6.67% (1:15).
3. The ADA always requires a clear floor space of 18 inches square directly under each door sign whereas the CBC only requires clear floor space based on the latch side clearances for each door.
4. The CBC requires that employee parking include parking spaces reserved for the disabled.  For the CBC, the total ratio of disabled parking spaces must include employee spaces.  The Advisory for the ADA states that employee parking lots are not required to be included in the required ratio of disabled parking.
5. The ADA allows the door closer to swing into the head clearance down to 78 inches.  The CBC does not allow the door closer to drop less than 80 inches.
6. While both the ADA and the CBC now have requirements for a maximum mirror height of 35 inches for mirrors not over sinks in restrooms, the ADA advisory states that the top edge of stand alone mirrors should be no less than 74 inches above the finished floor.
7. The CBC requires that disabled parking spaces reserved for vans should always have the access aisle on the passenger side (when the van is pulling forward).  The ADA allows the access aisle to be on either side of the space except when the parking space is angled.  Angled van parking spaces are required to have the access aisle on the passenger side.
8. Parking space signs for the CBC must be at least 80 inches above the parking grade when in the path of travel.  ADA parking signs must always be at least 60 inches above the parking grade.
9. For the ADA, grab bars in restrooms can be anywhere from 33 to 36 inches measured to the top above the finish floor.  In the CBC must be exactly 33 inches on center above the finished floor, unless you are using a tank toilet and the rear bar interferes with the tank’s lid.  If that’s the case then the CBC allows the rear bar to be anywhere from 33 to 36 inches on center.

These are just some of the conflicts between the CBC and the ADA.  Negotiating these code requirements requires intimate knowledge about both the INTENT of the law and the explicit details surrounding the requirements.  Hiring an experienced Access Consultant is a must!  Should you have any questions, please email Yours Truly Accessibility Corporation at  help@ytaccess.com or call us 866-982-3212 x 1.

Is your Business ADA Compliant? Learn about the legal liability your business has if it is not ADA Compliant. Don’t get slapped with a lawsuit over something you could have prevented!

Hosted at Four Points Sheraton (5990 Green Valley Circle in Culver City, CA) on Oct 6 @ 730am.

Click on the link below to pre-register for the event!

Culver City ADA Seminar

If you own a business, chances are it’s not 100% compliant. The only businesses which are guaranteed to be compliant are home delivery. Even then, if you accept visitors from the public in your lobby, family members of employees or event delivery personnel (who have to sign in at a counter) then you are technically open to the public.

If you think you are accessible, here’s a few items for your check list.

1. Floor Mats which are secure and do not pose a tripping hazard (glued or taped down)
2. Van Accessible Parking with an access aisle that is at least 96 inches wide.
3. A 6×6 inch ISA decal on or about your front door
4. Signage on the wall next to your restroom centered at 60 inches with raised letter, contrasting letters and grade 2 braille.
5. No door knobs anywhere. No twist hardware for the lock, for the latch or for faucets.
6. All restroom amenities are less than 40 inches from the finished floor. This means the point of operation!

If you’ve passed all 6 of these, then congrads, you’ve passed 6 of the 1300 unique checks that are part of doing an ADA Audit.

One of the most often-overlooked facets of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is the door.  While parking, restrooms and signage are all notorious for their complexities, doors remain on top of the list for the California Building Code (CBC) of priorities for removing architectural barriers.  This is because while restrooms are often the site of accessibility lawsuits (for reasons we can get into in another article), and parking lots are highly visible, doors are the only architectural barrier which can single-handedly stop someone from entering a site. They can also be a direct source of injury if the door closes too quickly or is so heavy that it pushes one off-balance. Fortunately, it is relatively inexpensive to improve your door’s accessibility, especially considering the benefits that it confers to all of your customers, and even the psychological impression that an easy or difficult entrance to your business can impart.

In general, the path of travel requires what is called a pedestrian envelope.  This means that as a person travels through a site (with or without a mobility aid), there needs to be a hazard-free zone surrounding them.  Some of these requirements include edge protection, lack of protruding objects, lack of slopes and cross-slopes and clear vertical head-space.  What often gets missed is that such requirements also extend through the doorway.

Already the door has many requirements unique to itself as an architectural component.  Between the ADA and the CBC there are almost 60 unique facets of a doorway each. But between the two (one a set of civil rights laws with building code, the other a set of building codes), almost 30 (depending on interpretation) of the door requirements are shared.  While many of these don’t apply to every door, some common requirements that do apply are to further ensure that the pedestrian envelope continues uninterrupted through the door way.

These requirements don’t include some of the unstated requirements that are because of the pedestrian envelope.  Some of these include the door closer height:

Door Closer Above Doorway: Not a Hazard	Door Closer Below Doorway: Possible Hazard

The door closer should always have its equipment above 80 inches.  Since commercial doors are often at 80 inches, to have the door closer arm extend under the doorway is a violation of the ADA.  While not all commercial doors are required to be accessible, as there can be multiple entrances to an area, or entrances to areas not serving the public within an employee area, doors that are accessible should be marked accessible when there are doors that are not accessible.  Thus door closers that go around the door-frame are preferred.  Door closers are a requirement for single user restrooms, so pay close attention to them.

Another common requirement for door closers is the closing time.  Doors that are self closing, such as those in restroom stalls, are required to take at least 3 seconds to close when held at a 70 degree position [diagram].  Door closers should also be adjusted so as to require less than 5 pounds of pressure.

Along with these height requirements there are also threshold requirements.  The ADA and CBC both allow for a maximum threshold height of ½ inches above the landing on either side if the threshold is beveled, ¼ inches if the threshold is not.  What is unstated in both and not allowed are horizontal gaps under the doorway of greater than ½ inches measured in the direction of travel.

While the pedestrian envelope constitutes one of the little understood applications of the code to doors, door usage goes beyond the code requirements.  Such knowledge requires a grasp of how the principles of the ADA apply to actual individuals using a given door.  Door hardware and door latch side clearances are two of such issues.

Door hardware constitutes one of the readily achievable facets of ADA compliance.  We are all familiar with the requirements of door usage — single knobs are no longer allowed.  What is often missed is the door latch (which in commercial doors can be at the bottom of the door) or the older style thumb-latch door handles.  Although not specifically mentioned, the use of a thumb with a pulling motion falls under the rubric of a complex twisting and grasping action which both the ADA and CBC outlaw.

Another set of requirements for the door which presents confusion involves the side clearances at doorways.  These clearances are essential to aid individuals using a mobility aid (such as a walker) in operating a door.  Wheelchair-using individuals and even parents with children inside strollers require level side clearances so they can get the leverage to pull open a door.  This space allows individuals to open the door without the added difficulty of moving backwards to make way for the door swing.  There are often a series of solutions that are co-present with solving latch side door clearances.  The most expensive but most encompassing is the installation of an automatic door opening device.  Alternative fixes would include reversing the door swing or moving it from one side to the other in order to comply with latch side clearances.  This of course, relies on knowledge about the local building code requirements on your building and about the different approach requirements to your door way.

Finally, the latch side clearances also constitute a usable space within a path of travel.  Often, fire extinguishers are placed there for convenience, blocking usage of that space.  Protruding object fire extinguishers can be made to no longer be protruding objects by having the lowest edge mounted below 27 inches, or by placing furniture or detectable warnings under them.  But these solutions to removing the hazard of a protruding object would only interfere with the clear floor space, making the door less usage or even unusable for individuals with mobility impairments.  Further investigation is required per site.

These are only some of the common considerations for doorway accessibility.  Doors are often taken for granted, as people think the width is the only requirement.  Doors constitute the single most important architectural barrier as an inaccessible main entrance means that any work done — whether it be with the restroom, the lobby, any common areas or even in the parking lot can become pointless if your customer cannot enter your business in the first place.

Improving the accessibility of your business may seem like an expensive endeavor, but with the right expertise, you can save both time and thousands of dollars from unnecessary construction. Make it easier, not harder, for your customers to come inside to your store. For any questions or assistance in improving your accessibility, call us today at 866-982-3212 or email us at help@ytaccess.com.

For a comprehensive list of applicable ADA/CBC codes, click here.

How liable does this make you?  Read our ADA FAQ for more information.  For information about assessing your site yourself or hiring an ADA expert, please look at our ADA Consultation page.

Questions? Call us at 866 982 3212 x2 or email us at help@ytaccess.com