Handicap Bathroom Laws
- Handicap access to public bathrooms is mandated by law.bathroom image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
Whenever a handicapped or disabled-access bathroom is built or renovated, it must comply with the provisions found in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA provides specific and highly detailed elite codes. This law covers everything from what kind of handrails must be installed in the handicapped bathroom to how much floor space is needed. - Under the ADA, toilets are considered water closets, and any bathroom having them must comply with ADA standards. Toilets must be no higher than 17 to 19 inches from the floor to the seat, with the center line of the toilet 18 inches away from an adjacent wall. Grab bars must be located both on the adjacent wall and the wall directly behind the toilet mounted above any water tank. Any toilet paper dispensers must be installed within reach of the toilet and must allow for continuous paper delivery or flow. Flush controllers must be mounted no higher than 44 inches above the floor and located on the wide side of the toilet stall or area. Further, all toilet stalls must provide a minimum 56-inch depth and have wall-mounted toilets. Stall doors must allow for at least 32 inches of clear opening between the door enclosure when the door is opened at 90 degrees (ADAAG § 4.16 et. seq.).
Urinals must be installed such that the elongated rims are no higher than 17 inches from the floor, with a 30-inch by 48-inch clear floor space in front of them. They must also have flush controls no higher than 44 inches above the floor. - Water closets need minimum floor space, the size of which differs depending on the kind of entrance used. For example, a front entrance closet must have a floor space of at least 48 inches by 66 inches. They must also be arranged such that they allow for either left-handed or right-handed access (ADAAG Figure 28).
The minimum width of standard stalls is 60 inches. Approaches to any stall door must have at least 42 inches of clear space between the stall wall and any adjacent wall or obstacle (ADAAG Figure 30a). - Wherever handrails are required in a handicapped bathroom, they must meet very specific requirements. All such handrails must be between 1.25 and 1.5 inches in diameter or in such a shape that provides an equivalent gripping surface. When attached or mounted to a wall, handrails must have a 1.5-inch gap between the rail in the wall face. All handrails, including tub and shower seats and the fasteners used to install them, must be able to withstand 250 pounds of force and cannot rotate within their fittings (ADAAG § 4.26.3).
- Whenever a bathroom has a shower or bathtub installed, such installations must provide at least 30 inches of clear floor space to meet ADA requirements. Shower units must have a detachable shower head attached to a hose at least 60 inches in length and such that it can be used as a handheld shower. Showers and tubs must also have seats installed such that they are between 17 and 19 inches above the floor of the bathtub or shower stall (ADAAG § 4.20 and § 4.21).
- The ADA also provides specific requirements for any children's bathroom primarily used by children 12 and younger. Water closets in these bathrooms must be at least 11 inches high but no higher than 17 inches. The centerline of the water closets must be between 12 and 18 inches from the side wall, and grab bars must be between 18 and 27 inches above the floor (ADAAG 4.16.7).
