Handicap specifications ensure public restrooms allow disabled citizens to move about freely.
Handicap specifications for public restrooms must follow the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) to ensure disabled individuals have free access. The rules result from the American with Disabilities Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1990, which makes it against the law to discriminate against persons with disabilities. The ADAAG specifications outline the technical requirements for facilities and buildings. However, the law states that compliance must not impinge on the usability of spaces for individuals who do not have disabilities.
Applicability
ADAAG covers new construction and renovations to existing structures. It applies to restrooms in nearly every type of public building or facility, such as restaurants, employees work areas, theaters and lodging. It also includes sports arenas, medical facilities, academic institutions and public projects. They all must conform to ADA guidelines for public washrooms.
Doors
The specifications for handicap restrooms state that the door must have a maximum pressure of five pounds needed to pull it or push it. The door must have a width of at least 32 inches. The preferred width of 36 inches allows a person to maneuver a wheelchair in and out. Operating mechanisms like locks, latches, levers, pulls or other hardware must be located no more than 48 inches from the floor and must be easy to grasp.
Stalls
ADA specifications call for stalls that contain floor-mounted toilets and have a minimum depth of 59 inches and a minimum width of 60 inches. Rules mandate a 32-inch clearance from the far wall in front of the toilet, and a minimum distance of 18 inches from the toilet's center line to the near sidewall. Contractors must ensure a minimum clearance of 48 inches from the front of any toilet positioned in front of a stall door or wall. A toilet installed toward the side of a stall requires a 60-inch clearance.
Toilets
Toilets must have a wall or partition on one side and on the rear. Locate the center line of the toilet 16 to 18 inches from the partition or sidewall. Restrooms with six or more toilets and urinals must have at least one ambulatory accessible toilet compartment with grab bars. The compartment must have at least 60 inches of clearance as measured perpendicularly from a sidewall, and a minimum of 56 inches from the rear wall. Toilets cannot have spring-loaded seats and the height of toilets must meet the17-to-19-inch requirement -- measured from the floor surface to the top of the toilet seat. Toilets for residential applications have a 15-to-19-inch height requirement. Position toilet paper dispensers at least 19 inches from the floor.
Grab Bars
Rules require the installation of grab bars on the sidewall closest to the toilet and on the wall behind the toilet. The sidewall bar must have a minimum length of 42 inches; locate the bar no more than 12 inches from the rear wall. The grab bar on the rear wall must have a minimum 36-inch length. In addition, the bar must extend from the toilet's center line to a minimum of 12 inches on one side and 24 inches (minimum) on the other side.
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