Accessible Amusement Rides - A Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Recreation Facilities

Altered Rides

Altered rides refer to changes in structural or operational characteristics of an existing ride vehicle configuration from those specified by the manufacturer or the original design criteria. An existing ride is also considered an altered ride if the load or unload area is newly designed or constructed. Thus, if an existing ride is simply moved to another area of a park or to another park, it is not considered altered unless the load or unload area is newly designed or newly constructed. Routine maintenance, painting, or changing the theme boards is not considered an alteration.

Exceptions
There are four types of rides that are not covered by the guidelines. However, other ADA requirements still apply. The four types are:

• Mobile or portable amusement rides such as those in traveling carnivals, State and county fairs, and festivals, do not need to comply. Mobile rides are available that provide wheelchair access and other rides could provide transfer access with minor modifications. 

• Rides that are controlled or operated by the rider (such as bumper cars and go-carts) are not required to comply with the guidelines, but an accessible route to the ride and a turning space (60-inch diameter circle or T-shaped turning space) in the load and unload area must be provided. (This exception does not apply if patrons can merely cause the ride to make incidental movements, but otherwise have no control over the ride.) 

• Rides designed for children, assisted on and off by an adult, are only required to provide an accessible route to the ride and a turning space in the load and unload area. While the occasional adult user may ride, the exception applies only to those rides that are designed for children.

• Rides that do not have seats must only provide an accessible route to the load and unload areas and a turning space in the load and unload area.