Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How can we achieve ADA compliance?

  • By Ben Jones
  • 11/01/17

When looking at meeting ADA requirements most only think of wheelchair accessibility. This is only part of the equation. We must also make accommodations for those with vision, hearing or speech disabilities. Here are five items to consider for ADA compliance when creating or improving your learning spaces.

1. Ensure proper spacing between walls and fixed furniture; typically, 60 inches in most cases.

2. Consider tables or instructors’ stations that can provide both the proper height and knee clearance: 30 inches wide by 19 inches deep by 27 inches high. If looking at adjustable height, consider electric lift systems rather than crank or pneumatic as they can be controlled with no effort from the user.

3. Review areas of reach on walls and fixtures.
a) Height reach restriction: 15 inches (minimum) and 48 inches (maximum) from floor.
b) Unobstructed forward reach: 20-25 inches deep (maximum, height restriction of 48 inches).
c) Obstructed side and forward reach: 10-24 inches deep (maximum, obstruction 34 inches maximum).

4. Items protruding from a wall that are between 27 inches to 80 inches high can be no more than 4 inches deep from the wall. This includes monitors and screens. Items below 27 inches can be identified with a cane.

5. Ensure that you have assistive listening devices, and proper line of sight for visual aids. Also check whether the technology you are using can help support those with hearing disabilities.

Achieving ADA compliance can add benefits such as improved ergonomics, along with providing the optimal learning environment for students and instructors. It may seem like a daunting task but there are many resources available. We always recommend reviewing ADA guidelines regularly to check for updates or changes.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Ben Jones is the national sales manager for Spectrum Industries, Inc. (www.spectrumfurniture.com). He can be reached at [email protected] or 407/242-6256.

Featured

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).