Hello. Please sign in!

Withdrawn Technical Assistance: Common ADA Errors and Omissions in New Construction and Alterations

[As of] December 21, 2017, the Department of Justice has withdrawn and, where applicable, removed from ADA.gov [this] technical assistance document. [This] document is outdated and does not fully reflect current law or has been replaced by a more up-to-date document. Withdrawal of a guidance document does not change covered entities’ legal responsibilities, as reflected in the ADA, its implementing regulations, and other binding legal requirements and judicial precedent. The Department will continue to fully and fairly enforce all laws within its jurisdiction, including the ADA.

Note: This document, portion of document or referenced document was published prior to the 2010 ADA Standards, and is still applicable.

Ramps

Error/Omission:

Parts of an accessible route with slopes that exceed 1:20 lack required features including handrails and edge protection.

Result:

When a walkway or other pedestrian surface has a slope greater then 1:20, it is more difficult to maintain control of a wheelchair. Wheelchair users may also not be able to climb up the sloped route without railings. Lack of edge protection may result in injury if a wheelchair user rolls off the side of the route. People who use a mobility device such as crutches, a cane, or a walker may lose their balance or fall while using a sloped section that does not have handrails or edge protection.

Illustration showing a man going down a ramp in a wheelchair and falling out of the wheelchair after it rolls off the edge of a ramp because the ramp lacks edge protection.

Requirement:

4.8.1* General. Any part of an accessible route with a slope greater than 1:20 shall be considered a ramp and shall comply with 4.8.

* Asterisk denotes that related, non-mandatory material is in the Appendix to the Standards.

Error/Omission:

Landing areas where ramps change direction (e.g., switchbacks or 90° turns) are too small.

Result:

Wheelchair users are unable to go up or down the ramp because there is not enough space to turn on a level surface. This makes the ramp unusable.

Requirement:

4.8.4* (3) If ramps change direction at landings, the minimum landing size shall be 60 in by 60 in (1525 mm by 1525 mm).

* Asterisk denotes that related, non-mandatory material is in the Appendix to the Standards.

[MORE INFO...]

*You must sign in to view [MORE INFO...]