Disabled Access Codes and
Requirements
Tuk Vorapani, P.E.
Senior Consultant
Los Angeles Office
Funding – How project is funded?
Federally Funded – Building is

To be constructed or altered by or on behalf of the U.S.

To be leased in whole or in part by the U.S.

To be financed in whole or in part by a grant or a loan
made by the U.S. – Affording housing projects need to
consult with their funding sources

To be constructed under authority of the National Capital
Transportation Act of 1960 or 1965, or Title III of the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation
Compact.
2
Funding – How project is funded?
Publicly Funded – Building is funded by public entity,
defined as:

Any State or local government

Any department, agency, special purpose district, or other
instrumentality of a State or States or local government; and

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and any
commuter authority
Privately Funded – Building is funded by private entity
3
Funding – How project is funded?
Multiple Sources
Apply ALL applicable codes and standards from each funding
source
4
Applicable Codes and Standards
Federal Level





ADA – for public accommodations mostly
HUD Safe Harbors – for most types of publicly- and
privately-funded housing – FHADM is most commonly
used
UFAS – for Federally-funded buildings
Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act
Civil Rights Law – Prevent discrimination in hotels,
motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public
accommodations
5
Applicable Codes and Standards
State and Local Level


CBC Chapter 11A – for housing
CBC Chapter 11B – for public buildings, public
accommodations, commercial buildings and publiclyfunded housing*

CBC Chapter 11C – Card Readers at Gas Stations

Local Municipal Amendments
* Refer to 11A for design requirements
6
Applicable Codes and Standards
How Codes and Standards are enforced?

CBC Chapters 11A – 11C – Through plan check

ADA, FHADM, UFAS – Through litigation
–> Responsibility of design team to ensure compliance
–> Local HUD office can be consulted for general
compliance
–> Fair Housing Accessibility First – HUD Contracted
http://www.fairhousingfirst.org/
7
General Overview – Housing
FHADM and CBC 11A cover 4 or more
housing units
Covered
Buildings with firewalls treated
as a single building
Covered
Two structurally joined buildings
treated as a single building
8
General Overview – Housing

Common use areas that can/will be made available to
general public must comply with ADA and Chapter 11B

Public areas such as sales office must comply with ADA
and Chapter 11B
9
General Overview – Housing

Dwelling units to be adaptable

At least one bathroom to be compliant

Kitchens to be accessible

For the most part, CBC 11A is more stringent than FHA
10
General Overview – Housing
Multi-Story Units (Townhouses) in Non-Elevator Buildings

Apply to multistory Apts or Condos dwelling units on the
ground floor of non-elevator buildings.
Exception: Carriage units

At least ten percent, but not less than one unit, of the
units must comply
The minimum number of units to comply with the above
requirements are calculated using the total number of all
units in buildings on a site. The number is to be rounded
up
11
General Overview – Housing



Not considered elevator building
Units 1, 2 and 3 are covered
Units 4, 5 and 6 are exempt
12
General Overview – Housing
Carriage Units
Definition: A dwelling unit with a living space on one or
more floors immediately above a Group U, Division 1,
private garage or garages. The footprint of the garage or
garages is used as the footprint for the remaining floor
or floors of the dwelling units above and the garage
level contains no habitable space.
Note: Dwelling units located over a common garage is not
considered carriage units
13
General Overview – Housing
Unit 1: Covered
Units 2-4: Not Covered
14
General Overview – Housing
Multi-Story Units in Elevator Buildings

The story of the unit that is served by the building
elevator is considered a ground floor and the primary
entry floor to the unit.

100 percent of the units must comply
15
General Overview – Housing
Important
When a building elevator or elevators provide a
means of access to units other than units on a
ground floor, the building is an elevator building.
All units become covered units. The elevator(s) in
that building must provide accessibility to ALL units
in the building.
16
General Overview – Housing
17
General Overview – Housing
18
Miscellaneous Requirements

2% of provided tenant parking now required to be
disabled access stalls vs. 2% of number of units in
previous code – Zoning code re: parking counts

Removable cabinets required under bathroom/ kitchen
sink

Accessible clearances at interior doors – 18” strike edge

Door threshold at balcony/patio doors
19
Miscellaneous Requirements
Larger area at interior unit doors
39-in. length is acceptable when 34-in. clear opening width is
provided.
 44-in. on the unit side at primary entry door and any required
exit door
 Apply to both swing doors and sliding doors

20
Miscellaneous Requirements
Kitchen must be fully accessible
48 in
21
Miscellaneous Requirements
22
Miscellaneous Requirements




A minimum length of 30” for the kitchen
sink and is repositionable to a min
height of 28”.
A minimum length of 30” for a work
surface and is repositionable to a min
height of 28”.
Exceptions to the repositioning req’s:
 Only 5 percent of dwelling units are
req’d to comply.
 Stone, cultured stone and tiled
countertops are exempt.
 Two 15” breadboards may be used
in lieu of 30” work surface.
Countertops set at 34” high in transient
lodging (i.e., hotels). May be at 36” in
housing projects.
23
Miscellaneous Requirements
Removable Cabinets
Finished Floor
24
Miscellaneous Requirements

Electrical outlets
Top no more than 48 in.
AFF
 Bottom no less than 15 in.
AFF

25
Miscellaneous Requirements

Electrical outlets
Over obstruction (e.g.,
countertops) – 44 in. for
forward approach and 46
in. for side approach
 Max depth of cabinets – 24
in.
 Max depth of countertops –
25 in.

26
Miscellaneous Requirements
FHADM Requirement
27
Miscellaneous Requirements
Complying Bathroom

Sufficient maneuvering space – the ability to enter and close the door,
use the fixtures, reopen the door and exit. (CBC 1134A.4)

When both tub and shower provided:
 In same bathroom – at least one to be made accessible. Either one?
 In different bathrooms – both to be made accessible

Alternative sizes for accessible showers to include 30”x60” and 36”x60”
showers in addition to the 42”x48”, and 2-in. max threshold.

Compartmentalized toilet stall is treated as a separate bathroom (e.g.,
maneuvering spaces and clearances)
28
Miscellaneous Requirements
Complying Bathroom
12” max
26”
48” parallel by
30” perpendicular
to the side of tub
(measured from
the foot of the
tub)
40”
City of L.A.
additionally
requires a 60”
or T-shaped
turning space.
24” OC
for
parallel
approach
30”x48” floor
space outside
door swing
24” max
If cabinets provided,
LAV 24 in. from wall
18” strikeside required
29
Miscellaneous Requirements
Powder Room


If only toilet facility on the floor – treated as complying
bathroom
Otherwise – Minimal accessible requirements
30
Miscellaneous Requirements
Balcony/Patio Exterior Door Threshold

In general




Changes up to ¼ in. can be vertical
Changes between ¼ in. to ½ in. to be beveled with
50% slope.
Changes exceeding ½ in. to be made by means of
ramp, elevator or lift.
Max door threshold at secondary exterior doors – ¾ in.
31
Miscellaneous Requirements
Balcony/Patio Exterior Door Threshold
32
Miscellaneous Requirements
Balcony/Patio Exterior Door Threshold

Exterior decks



Impervious construction (e.g., concrete) – max 4 in.
below interior floor surface.
CA requires changes > ½ in. to be a ramp.
FHADM permits a platform to be installed at a later
date by tenant.
33
Miscellaneous Requirements
Site Observation and Verification

Dimensional requirements

What is on approved plans vs what is built

Important to inspect installation early on
34
Questions and Answers
Schirmer Engineering an Aon company
21221 S. Western Ave., Suite 100
Torrance, CA 90501
p: 310.782.0850
35