ADA standards help people with disabilities.
In July 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which makes it illegal to discriminate against individuals who have disabilities. The ADA standards ensure that public restroom facilities are built or renovated in a way that allows individuals with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs, to use those facilities.
Applicability
The ADA standards for restrooms address 12 types of public facilities, including hotels, motels, theaters, schools, restaurants, factories and recreation buildings. The United States Access Board is responsible for creating the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), which set forth the specific requirements for the various elements that are part of a public restroom, such as the door, the toilet, the sink and the stall door, as well as the grab bars and accessories such as mirrors.
Doors
Restroom entry and interior doors have to pull or push open with a maximum force of five pounds. The door handles, levers, latches, locks, pulls and other operating mechanisms must be shaped in a way that allows a disabled person to operate easily with one hand without having to grasp or twist the device to open the door. The mechanism must be no more than 48 inches from the floor. Doors 36 inches wide offer better maneuverability for an individual in a wheelchair, but the ADA standard only requires that doors be 32 inches wide.
Toilets
The ADA standards for toilets requires that seats be a maximum height of 17 to 19 inches to the top of the seat. Toilet seats that spring into a lift position should not be used. A minimum 36-inch grab bar is required on the wall behind the toilet, and sidewall grab bars should be at least 42 inches long. The ADA standards require hand-operated or automatic flush controls for toilets. The toilet-paper dispenser should be without a paper-control mechanism, and a disabled person should be able to reach the dispenser easily.
Urinals
The ADA standards permit stall-type and wall-hung urinals with elongated rims. The urinals should be a maximum of 17 inches above the restroom floor, and the flush valve should be no more than 44 inches higher than the floor.The floor area in the front of the urinals has to be at least 30 inches by 48 inches, an area that allows someone in a wheelchair to approach the urinal directly from the front.
Grab Bars
Grab bars have to be 1¼ to 1½ inches wide, or have a shape with a comparable gripping surface. There must be 1½ between the bar and the wall. For grab bars installed in a recessed space, the maximum depth of the space cannot exceed 3 inches, and the minimum distance above the rail has to be at least 18 inches.
Sinks and Mirrors
There must be at least 29 inches from the bottom apron of the sink to the floor. This allows room for those in wheelchairs to get close to the sink. The surface of the bowl may not be more than 34 inches from the floor. Mirrors should be placed so that the bottom edge is no more than 40 inches from the floor.
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