ADA Done Right - Exterior Route
ADA Accessible Exterior Route
Recently on a road trip to Iowa I came across an example of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) done right. Look at the photo on the right. The photo shows an exterior route from site arrival points to the walkway outside a restaurant. This is a great example of the ADA done right! And there is a lot to like here.
2010 ADA Standard 206.2.1, Site Arrival Points, states, “At least one accessible route shall be provided within the site from accessible parking spaces and accessible passenger loading zones; public streets and sidewalks; and public transportation stops to the accessible building or facility entrance they serve.” In the photo above, a marked route from the municipal sidewalk comes across the vehicular path and connects to the access aisle for the accessible parking. This is a very efficient way to connect two site arrival points, the sidewalk and accessible parking, to the exterior route into the facility.
But it gets better. As the ADA parking access aisle meets the walkway in front of the facility, there is a level landing, where an individual can turn a wheelchair, to go over a detectable warning and up a small ramp and to the level of the walkway. All this put together is doing the ADA right!
Now there is one thing that could be improved a bit, and that is the surface of the marked route and accessible aisle. It is important that all cracks and openings comply with the ADA Standards so a mostly smooth surface is available to the disabled.
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