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

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.