ADA Accessibility: Accessibility includes building exteriors as well as
interiors. It includes items such as ramps & curb cuts which provide access
onto walks & other raised areas. ADA states that 50% of all public entrances
should be accessible by wheelchair. All ramps should have a 1:20 slope. For a
small office building with two entries, this means that the entry which is
used most by people who work and visit the building should be handicap
accessible. For a strip shopping center, an accessible entry for each tenant
is needed. Signage must also be addressed inside & out. This includes noting
accessibility routes into a building, public telephone areas, etc.
ADA PARKING: General parking requirements for a site are usually determined by
two factors: square footage and building use. You might find the following
examples helpful: a 10,000 square foot retail center requires one parking
space for every 200 sq.ft. of gross area or 50 cars total; 2 of the 50 must be
handicap-accessible. An industrial property with 150 employees needs parking
for every 2 to 5 employees, which translates to 30 to 75 total parking stalls;
3 of these are required to be handicap-accessible. Note that these figures may
vary due to the specific use of the space. Factors to keep in mind regarding
handicapped parking: handicap accessible spaces should be 16'-0" wide (almost
twice the width of a conventional stall); the entire path from parking space
to building entry must accommodate a wheelchair, so locate them as close as
possible to an accessible building entrance. (A rule of thumb, 1 handicap
accessible space per 25 cars.)