Thursday, October 6, 2011

Private vs. Public Spaces

A frequent question is what needs to be ADA accessible in buildings? 


All public spaces need to be accessible.  Employee work areas are what ACCESS calls private spaces and are an employment issue, covered under subchapter 1.  All employee work areas are required to have an accessible route to the work area, a turnaround space and an accessible route to exit the work area. 


A more challenging situation is in the lodging industry which has both public spaces and private spaces.  The entrance door on the outside of the unit is public space and needs to be accessible; the inside of the entrance door is private space and not required to be accessible unless that room has been designated as an accessible room.  All accessible rooms are either guest rooms with mobility features or guest rooms with communications features, and not more than 10% of guest rooms required to provide mobility features complying with 806.2 shall be used to satisfy the minimum number of guest rooms required to provide communication features complying with 806.3.


Mobility features are wheelchair, walkers, canes, crutches, etc.  Communication features are all hearing and sight related.  The number of guest rooms required to be accessible comes from a table and is based on the number of rooms on that property.  The other guest rooms have only one accessible requirement; entrance, doors and doorways providing user passage into and within guest rooms hat are not required to provide mobility features complying with 806.2 shall comply with 404.2.3;  door openings shall provide a clear width of 32 inches minimum.

Give us your thoughts and questions on the above.  You can post them here or on our FaceBook page 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.

Hank


The above are opinions of Hank Falstad, AIA, Managing Senior Associate of Access Technologies Services, Inc. (ACCESS).  See our web site for additional information:  www.accessts.net.

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