Elements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (or ADA) passed in the early 1990s require bathroom accessibility for wheelchair users and others who use aids for mobility. Being able to turn wheelchairs around inside of restrooms, opening doors with minimum force and fitting wheelchairs inside bathroom stalls remain important issues for wheelchair users. Raised symbols for the blind and slip-free surfaces also are keys to accessibility.
Restroom Entry
In all post-ADA construction, internal doors of public buildings and businesses must open with minimal force and be operable with a closed fist. This accommodates people who have limited hand use for gripping handles or turning knobs. Levers or handles should be no more than 48 inches high.
Under the ADA, five pounds of force is all it should take to open internal doors, including restroom entryways. Lower thresholds of doorways (the portion at the bottom of door frames) should be no more than 1/4-inch high, or 3/4-inch high if beveled, for easier passage of wheelchairs.
Accessible restrooms should be clearly marked as such near doorways, with raised Braille for identification by the blind. Doorways should be at least 32 inches wide. Once inside, an area 60 inches in diameter is needed for wheelchair turning.
Stalls
Stall doors should be operable with a closed fist and minimum force. Stalls should be built at least 60 inches wide to allow for wheelchair turning inside. With wall-mounted toilets, stalls need to be at least 56 inches long. With floor-mounted toilets, stalls need to be 59 inches long. Stalls with doors that swing into them require an added 36 inches of length. These requirements allow for wheelchairs to fit inside stalls and for stall doors to close. Stalls must contain grab bars to facilitate shifting from wheelchair to toilet.
Toilets
Toilet seats must be between 17 and 19 inches from the floor. Flush controls should be operable with one hand and little to no grasping, or by automatic sensor. Urinals need elongated rims no more that 17 inches from the floor and a clear floor space at least 30-by-48-inches wide for the front approach. The floor space requirement also applies to toilets without stalls, sinks and other bathroom fixtures.
Toilet paper dispensers should be mounted below grab bars no more than 36 inches from the back wall and at least 19 inches from the floor.
Sink controls and soap and paper towel dispensers should be operable with closed fists and no more than five pounds of pressure.
Hazard-Free
Equipping bathrooms with slip-resistant floor surfaces prevents wheelchair wheels from slipping or crutches or braces from sliding. Grab bars must be free of chipped paint or jagged edges that could cause injury.
Signs at Inaccessible Restrooms
All inaccessible bathrooms must be clearly marked with directions in Braille and universal accessibility symbols showing where accessible bathrooms are located.
Businesses and public buildings providing public and common-use toilets must ensure that a portion of the facilities are accessible.
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