First, one has to look at the ADA & ABA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG); Final Rule, written by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), published July 23, 2004, with an effective date of September 21, 2004. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law and trumps the International Building Code and ICC/ANSI A117.1. Second, one needs to look at ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003.
The ADAAG; Final Rule Section 608.5.1 states:
608.5 Controls.
608.5.1 Transfer Type Shower Compartment.
“In transfer type shower compartments, the controls, faucets, and shower spray unit shall be installed on the side wall opposite the seat 38 inches minimum and 48 inches maximum above the shower floor and shall be located on the control wall 15 inches maximum from the centerline of the seat toward the shower opening.”
ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003, Section 608.5.1 states:
608.5 Controls and Hand Showers.
608.5.1 Transfer-Type Showers.
“In transfer-type showers, the controls and hand shower shall be located on the control wall opposite the seat, 38 inches minimum and 48 inches maximum above the shower floor, within 15 inches, left or right, of the centerline of the seat.”
One sees that ADAAG is more restrictive than ICC/ANSI A117.1, so one has to ask the question why? Well, ACCESS is seeing transfer showers which have a permanent shower head, hand held shower spray unit, hook for the shower spray unit, controller, soap dish, and diverter valve; and they will not fit in the 15 inch maximum space. The answer comes from understanding how the space functions and why control space has been defined. In the opinion of ACCESS, the design is to enable someone in a wheelchair to turn on the shower water and adjust the water temperature before entering the shower. Those are the controls required to be in the 15 inch maximum defined control area; other controls and shower amenities can be located on the other side of the centerline as seen in ICC/ANSI A117.1.
This is not an isolated issue. A new ICC/ANSI A117.1 will be coming out in the next 30 days. ICC/ANSI A117.1 is on a 5 year cycle, so it gets revised every 5 years. ADAAG is on a 12 year cycle, so we expect to see many more of these issues.
Contact us with any comments or questions. You can post them here or on our FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-Technologies-Services-Inc/268659564730#!/. You can also reach us at hfalstad@accessts.net or call us at (702) 649-7575.
The above are opinions of Hank Falstad , AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Service s, Inc. (ACCESS). See our web site for additional information: www.accessts.net.
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