What is in this article?:
- Accessibility For All
- Faucets and lavatories
Whether for new construction or renovation, educational facility professionals must adhere to the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Access Guideline (ADAAG) Review Advisory Committee has proposed revisions to accessibility guidelines that, if adopted, would affect schools and universities.
Because washroom accessibility is such an important issue, numerous manufacturers offer products designed for this purpose. However, compliance involves more than installing certain types of products. How and where these products are installed will determine whether an educational facility truly is accessible.
Water closets and urinals
For both new buildings and retrofits, the ADAAG specifies that flush controls for water closets and urinals be hand-controlled or automatic. Battery-operated or hardwire sensor-operated fixtures typically function by emitting an invisible beam of infrared light. As a user enters the monitored area, this light reflects back to a sensor that controls the flushing device, putting it on hold. Once the user leaves the area, the loss of reflected light triggers the “one-time” flushing mechanism. After the cycle, the circuit automatically resets for the next user.
Manual fixtures also meet the proposed accessibility guidelines if the flushing mechanism of hand-controlled units can be operated easily with one hand and does not require grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and can be actuated with less than 5 pounds of force. For adult use, the flush control must be installed within 44 inches of the floor. The typical toilet requires a maximum of 44 inches between the handle and the floor.
A clarification for urinals is addressed in the proposed ADAAG, which specifies a minimum dimension of 13.5 inches for the rim of elongated-type fixtures, measured from the outer face of the urinal rim to the back of the fixture. Although this is less than the 20-inch maximum stated in section 308.2.2, section 605.4 states specifically that 44 inches is the maximum height for urinal handles, superseding any other criteria.
| Age | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 3 - 4 | 36" | 20" |
| 5 - 8 | 40" | 18" |
| 9 - 12 | 44" | 16" |
| 12 + | 44" | 15" |
Height specifications for flush controls for child use:
Along with handle heights, the proposed ADAAG specifies these units must be mounted to a toilet where the top of the seat is 17 inches minimum to 19 inches maximum from the floor for adult use. Age-specific toilet seat heights:
| Age | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 3 - 4 | 11" | 12" |
| 5 - 8 | 12" | 15" |
| 9 - 12 | 15" | 17" |
| 12 + | 17" | 19" |
Other changes are proposed concerning the placement of water closets and clear floor space in toilet rooms. The previous standard for adults, which mandated the water closet centerline to be 18 inches from the adjacent sidewall, has been revised to allow the centerline to be 16 to 18 inches from the sidewall.
Additional revisions address rear grab bars. Rear grab bars may be split or shifted if administrative authorities require flush controls to be situated in a position that conflicts with the location of the rear grab bar.
The administrative authorities that can cause this conflict — usually interference or a tight fit between the valve and the rear grab bar, are the plumbing codes that require a minimum height of 6 inches between the critical line of the valve's vacuum breaker and the top of the water closet. This vacuum breaker requirement limits how low the valve can be installed.
Allowing the grab bar to be split or shifted to the wide side of the stall eliminates the need for offsetting flush valve models that have higher installation away from the wall so they are in front of the grab bar. While these “offset” valve models meet the requirements of the ADA, they do not meet the intent of the ADA requirements as they increase the possibility of the user coming in contact with the product.
The proposed ADAAG also would permit the use of a shorter grab bar of 24 inches if wall space is not available for a 36-inch grab bar. The grab bar must be centered on the water closet (provided there is no interference with the flush controls as noted above), and where space permits, the additional length of the grab bar must be provided on the transfer side of the water closet.
