Accessible Benches at US Forest Service Facilities
Information reproduced from the USDA Accessibility Guidebook for Outdoor Recreation and Trails.
USFS Bench Requirements
All benches provided along US Forest Service (USFS) trails or beach access routes or at Forest Service recreation sites (other than those inside a building or in an amphitheater) must meet requirements in the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG). The graphic on the right is representative of these benches.
At least 20 percent of benches at a Forest Service recreation area should be connected to the area’s other major features by an outdoor recreation access route (ORAR). Benches inside buildings must comply with sections F221.2.1.1, F221.2.2, and 903 of ABAAS. Benches in amphitheaters must comply with the requirements in ABAAS section F221 for assembly areas, including wheelchair spaces, companion seats, designated aisle seats, and lawn seating. Even if most benches in the amphitheater don’t have back support, consider providing it at the designated aisle seats required by ABAAS, section F221.4.
The front edge of the bench seat should be 17 to 19 inches (430 to 485 millimeters) above the ground or floor space. When more than one bench is provided in a common area such as a scenic overlook, at least half of the benches must have back support that runs the full length of the bench.
At least half of the benches with back support should have one armrest. Consider the visitors who will use a particular area when deciding where to locate an armrest. For people who have difficulty standing up from a seated position, having an armrest can be helpful. However, armrests on both ends of the bench could prevent a person using a wheelchair from being able to transfer onto the bench. A compromise design is a bench with back support and one armrest placed in the middle of the bench. The graphic above shows a bench that meets these requirements. Another option is to place a single armrest on the end of the bench farthest from the clear floor or ground space.
All parts of the bench must be able to withstand 250 pounds (1,112 newtons) applied vertically or horizontally at any point of the seat, fastener, mounting device, or supporting structure.
A clear floor or ground space that is 36 by 48 inches (915 by 1,220 millimeters) should be provided adjacent to one end of each bench. Do not allow this clear space to overlap the ORAR, trail, or beach access route, so that using the bench or clear space doesn’t limit travel past the bench and vice versa. Locate the clear space to provide shoulder alignment between a person sitting on the bench and a person seated in a wheelchair occupying the clear space, so that transfers to the bench are convenient and conversations between people on the bench and beside it are comfortable. The graphic below is representative of a 36 X 48 inch clear space.
Clear Space 36X48 Inches
Shoulder alignment generally can be achieved by positioning the back of the bench so that it is 8 inches (200 millimeters) closer to the ORAR, trail, or beach access route than the back of the required clear floor or ground space adjacent to the end of the bench.
Do not allow the slope of the clear floor or ground space to exceed 1:48 (2 percent) in any direction, except if the surface is not paved or built with boards, the slope may be up to 1:33 (3 percent) when needed for proper drainage. The surface must be firm and stable and made from a material that is appropriate to the setting and level of development.
If a condition for exception in an alteration project at an existing site prohibits full compliance with a specific requirement for clear floor or ground space (surface, slope, size, or location), the clear floor or ground space only has to comply with requirements to the extent practicable.
SUMMARY: All benches provided along USFS trails or beach access routes or at Forest Service recreation sites (other than those inside a building or in an amphitheater) must meet requirements in the FSORAG. These requirements include back support, seat height, armrests, weight capacity, shoulder alignment, and a clear space. At least 20 percent of benches at a USFS recreation area should be connected to the area’s other major features by an ORAR.
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