The fine print

Posted on - Monday, June 1st, 2015

The 2010 ADA Standards are full of little nuances that, unless you are used to them, are easy to miss.  There are two that have come up several times in my inspections lately and I wanted to share them with you so maybe you won’t be caught unaware.

Vision Lights at Doors

The 2010 ADA Standards states:

404.2.11 Vision Lights. Doors, gates, and side lights adjacent to doors or gates, containing one or more glazing panels that permit viewing through the panels shall have the bottom of at least one glazed panel located 43 inches (1090 mm) maximum above the finish floor.EXCEPTION: Vision lights with the lowest part more than 66 inches (1675 mm) from the finish floor or ground shall not be required to comply with 404.2.11.404.3 

The key item that is missed is that not all vision lights must meet the requirement.  If the glazing does not allow viewing, then it does not have to comply with this section.

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This vision light does not have glazing you can view through and therefore can be located higher than 43″ a.f.f. 

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This vision light was mounted higher than 43″ a.f.f. and since you can see through the light it must comply.  This applies to all doors that require passage (including work area doors)

Hand held shower unit

An accessible shower and tub are required to have a hand held shower unit.  There are certain rules that pertain to this equipment that could be missed.  Both showers and tub hand held unit should have an on-ff button with  a non-positive shut off..  Most hand held devices do not have it, and they are not considered compliant.

607.6 Shower Spray Unit and Water [at tub]. A shower spray unit with a hose 59 inches (1500 mm) long minimum that can be used both as a fixed-position shower head and as a hand-held shower shall be provided. The shower spray unit shall have an on/off control with a non-positive shut-off. If an adjustable-height shower head on a vertical bar is used, the bar shall be installed so as not to obstruct the use of grab bars. Bathtub shower spray units shall deliver water that is 120°F (49°C) maximum. 

 608.6 Shower Spray Unit and Water [at showers]. A shower spray unit with a hose 59 inches (1500 mm) long minimum that can be used both as a fixed-position shower head and as a hand-held shower shall be provided. The shower spray unit shall have an on/off control with a non-positive shut-off. If an adjustable-height shower head on a vertical bar is used, the bar shall be installed so as not to obstruct the use of grab bars. Shower spray units shall deliver water that is 120°F (49°C) maximum.

EXCEPTION: A fixed shower head located at 48 inches (1220 mm) maximum above the shower finish floor shall be permitted instead of a hand-held spray unit in facilities that are not medical care facilities, long-term care facilities, transient lodging guest rooms, or residential dwelling units. 

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This unit does not have an on/off button and the controls to adjust the handle are the type that requires tight grasping and twisting of the wrist to operate. 

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This unit has an on/off button and the control to adjust the height does not require tight grasping and twisting of the wrist to operate

Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities

Save the Date:

Marking the 25th anniversary of the ADA, July 24th will be ADA Awareness day in Dallas Texas.  The AIA Dallas’s Codes and Standards committee is planning a day full of great programs.  Stay tuned.  If you want to be a sponsor, let me know.

If you are interested in getting a Barrier Free/ADA CEU online, I partnered with Green CE.  We will be presenting live webinars this year.  We will post details as they become available

If you are interested in Building Code seminars check out my colleague Shahla Layendecker with SSTL Codes

If you want to learn more about these standards, be sure to check out my books:

“The ADA Companion Guide”  “Applying the ADA” published by Wiley. 

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They are available for sale now. (also available as an e-book)

If you have any questions about these or any other topics, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Marcela Abadi Rhoads, RAS #240
Abadi Accessibility
214. 403.8714
marhoads@abadiaccess.com
www.abadiaccess.com
Useful Links

 

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