You want your seating area to be accessible to all patrons, but that isn’t quite as easy as it seems, particularly if you’re working with an outdated facility or older seating solutions. As you work to revise your facility to meet the needs of even handicapped patrons, what exactly should you build into your plans? This guide can help you make sense of today’s ADA requirements so everyone can enjoy your facility.
Understanding the Definition
An accessible seat is one that has been specifically designed for wheelchair use and includes features like an accessible approach space, location at grade, cleared floor space, and larger dimensions. One companion seat should be provided for every accessible seat. Keep in mind that while you can add designated aisle seats for use by those who have disabilities but are not wheelchair bound, they cannot be deemed “accessible” seats.
There are specific size guidelines with accessible seating. Wheelchair spaces have to be 36 inches wide and 48 inches deep if they can be entered from the front or back. If you have two spaces side by side, each one must be 33 inches in width. In the event you have a space that can only be entered from the side, it has to be 60 inches deep.
Seating Placement
The goal of all accessible seating is to ensure those patrons who need it get the same experience other audience members do. As such, you need to think about equivalent lines of sight, viewing angles, and the best location of seats for those patrons. If you have luxury boxes or something similar, making a percentage of those ADA compliant is a good idea, and even required in many cases.
Total Seats Available
ADA guidelines state that the number of accessible seats is based on the total number of seats in your venue. Depending on the type of facility you currently have as well as the overall number of seats, that could fall between one and five percent. Often individual removable seats can be placed in these accessible seating areas, though, to make the seats sellable in the event they are not needed by a person with disabilities.
Providing the Right Information
Don’t forget to make the information about accessible seats available, too. Using the same text and visual representations you do for your normal seating areas, you’ll want to provide enough information to allow those who wish to purchase accessible seats to determine whether they meet his or her needs. If you include maps or seating configuration displays in your sales literature, you’ll want to note the accessible seating information there as well.
Following ADA seating guidelines not only helps ensure that you won’t be fined for noncompliance, but it also helps to make certain that all of your patrons will be able to enjoy your facility, no matter what their disabilities.