Stick to ADA Guidelines

Being familiar with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines is a must for any contractor. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is civil rights legislation assuring public buildings and structures provide reasonable accommodations and access to anyone with a disability. This can be for wheelchair users, or for the visually or hearing impaired, as well as a range of other potential disabilities.

Building Codes
Most state building codes comply with ADA guidelines. Most states have gone to the International Building Code and the International Plumbing Code, which references a document called ICC ANSI A117. This is the standard for where to put plumbing fixtures and what makes the toilet room accessible. All the information plumbers will need is found not only in ADA, but also in these building codes. Construction Book Express has a full line of International Codes available at http://www.constructionbook.com/international-codes/.

Liability
Typically, the responsibility of meeting ADA guidelines falls to the architect or designer. It is important for each trade involved to understand what their responsibility is. For example, if a plumber installs something based on an architect's plans and the architect was incorrect, the plumber will have to return to the site and redo it to avoid legal action.

That's the best-case scenario. The worst case is that the architect, owner or general contractor will pass the buck down to the plumber. Regardless of whether a plumber can be directly liable, the most common situation would be to have the general contractor, prime contractor or owner going after them.

There generally are two components to ADA litigation; one is fixing the problem and the other is litigation costs, which consist mostly of attorney fees. If you just have a general indemnity obligation and the entire violation is your work, you will have to reimburse for attorney fees as well, which is often where the big money is in these cases. As a tradesman, your goal is to eliminate the indemnification obligation.

Nuts and Bolts
Although the Standards for Accessible Design are lengthy, there are some fairly common concerns:

• Entrance and exit ramps
• Doorway widths
• Bathroom stalls
• Showers
• Shower heads
• The height of toilets from the floor; where the toilets should be located as far as the center line being 18 inches from the nearest wall.
• The location of the flush handle should be on the wide side of the room or the toilet stall.
• The sink height and the types of controls should be lever-type controls rather than knobs.

Poundage is also an issue. The amount of pressure it takes to work the controls, whether on a toilet or in the shower or on the sink is supposed to be no greater than 5 pounds of effort.

Also note guidelines for lavatory heights and knee clearances. The maximum height generally is 34 inches to the rim of the lavatory, and remember to provide the 29 inches of knee clearance beneath the apron of the lavatory.

To find out all of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, check out the Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities and the ADA Guidelines and Fair Housing Act, both available at http://www.constructionbook.com/ada-code/

Products
Construction Book Express offers many books and products that can help you navigate ADA guidelines and ensure that you are never in violation. You can shop our wide selection at http://www.constructionbook.com/ada-code/.