People with disabilities have the right to lead a normal life. This is why all public and commercial facilities should be ADA-compliant. That means parking lots, public toilets and other important places should have extra room for wheelchairs.
ADA standards establish how elements should be arranged within a structure to ensure the comfort of people with disabilities. These standards include dimensions and references to help builders do things according to the law.
Today, we’ll show you the ADA toilet stall dimensions and other important measurements in bathrooms.
What is ADA?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a regulation that all American builders should follow. It establishes the mandatory conditions that public and commercial structures should have to guarantee the accessibility of people with disabilities.
The ADA was first issued in 1990 and updated several times in subsequent years. The fundamental objective of this regulation is to guarantee that people with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest.
Any builder who violates the ADA regulations for the first time will have to pay a fine minor to $50,000. However, if they do it more than once, the fines can exceed $100,000.
ADA Toilet Stall Dimensions
- Faucets and sinks
The user should be able to handle the faucets with a single hand. Faucets should use levers, buttons, or touch panels. These mechanisms prevent the user from pinching, gripping, or twisting the wrist.
Sinks should be at least 34-inch above the ground level. The knee clearance should be 11-25 inches deep, 30-inch wide, and 27-inch high. The floor should be free of obstacles that prevent the wheelchair from passing.
- Standard Stall
Floor stalls should be at least 59-inch wide. On the other hand, wall-mounted stalls should be at least 56-inch wide. The center line of the WC should be at least 18-inch away from the side walls. Doors in bathrooms should be facing the WC in a diagonal direction and located on the side walls.
- Alternate Stalls
It’s possible to install two alternate stalls in bathrooms (only for alterations). The first one should be at least 36-inch wide. The second one should be at least 48-inch wide. In the case of comfort height floor toilets, alternate stalls should be at least 69-inch deep. In the case of wall-mounted toilets, alternate stalls should be at least 66-inch deep.
- Doors
Above all, the doors should be in optimal condition and move smoothly. In addition, they should have comfortable handles. The user should be able to manipulate the door with one hand, without applying too much force.
Doors should have a maximum opening of 90 degrees, with at least 32-inch of doorway.
- Side Walls
Grab bars on side walls should be 33-36 inches above the ground level. They shouldn’t be further than 12-inch from the rear walls. They should be at least 40-inch long for standard stalls. In the case of alternate stalls, they should be at least 42-inch long.
The WC seat level should be 17-19 inches above the ground level. The toilet paper dispenser should be 19-inch above the ground level.
- Toe Clearance
In the case of standard stalls, the front partition should have a minimum toe clearance of 9-inch above the ground level. If the stall is deeper than 60-inch, toe clearance isn’t mandatory.
- Grab Bars
The minimum length of grab bars in showers should be 42-inch on side walls and 36-inch on rear walls. They should be separated 1.5-inch from the wall, 33-36 inches above the ground level. The gripping surface should be at last 1.25-inch. Also, grab bars should be sturdy enough to withstand a load of 250 lbs.
Grab bars should be installed near showers, tubs and toilets. They can be installed in a vertical, horizontal or inclined position.
Horizontal grab bars are recommended for shower side walls while vertical grab bars should go near the shower door frame and shower handles. On the other hand, inclined grab bars work better near handicap toilets.
Additional Considerations
There are other additional requirements that structures should follow in order to be ADA compliant. Here are some of them:
- Soap dispensers shouldn’t be more than 44-inch above the ground level.
- In the case of regular urinals, the flush valve should be at least 48-inch above the ground level.
- As it happens with faucets, the user shouldn’t pinch, grip or twist the wrist to operate door latches.
- The bottom edge of mirrors shouldn’t be more than 40 inches above the ground level. On the other hand, the top edges of the mirror should be at least 74-inch above the ground level.
- Water coolers and drinking fountains shouldn’t be more than 36-inch above the ground level. The user should have easy access to water. So, if it’s necessary to adopt uncomfortable positions to drink water, the device doesn’t meet the ADA size requirements.
Summary
As you can see, there are many details to consider to meet all ADA bathroom dimensions. So, before starting to build, check that all the blueprints are made according to the rules. If the bathroom will be built by third parties, closely supervise the entire construction process. Don’t forget to have a measuring tape at hand to verify each measurement.
If you don’t want to pay too high fines in the future, don’t neglect supervision for any second. Without a doubt, carefully following these tips is the best way to demonstrate how much you care for people with disabilities.
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