There are a litany of different regulations that your restaurant must meet in order to be considered ADA compliant. Everything from your parking lot to your employees has some kind of requirement associated with it. Here are some basic steps to get you started.
“For ADA purposes, a restaurant is a place of public accommodation subject to the act's accessibility standards. This means that any restaurant opened for first occupancy after January 26, 1993 must be readily accessible to people with disabilities, unless it is structurally impracticable to meet the requirements. The standard applies to everything from parking spaces to entrances, dining areas, and restrooms.”
Parking
You need to have at least one handicapped spot for every 25 parking spots you have in your lot. The handicapped spots need to be located close to the entrance of your restaurant.
“The ADA requires passenger loading zones with an access aisle at least 60 inches wide and 20 feet long, adjacent and parallel to the vehicle pull-up space. An ADA-compliant ramp is required if there are curbs located between the access aisle and the vehicle pull-up space.”
Entrances
The doorway into your dining area must be at least 32 inches wide and if there are stairs, you need to have a ramp or an alternate entrance that is accessible. Patrons should also be able to open the door with a closed fist.
“If a restaurant provides a ramp for its disabled patrons, the maximum slop must be 1:12 or less. Ramps have to be at least 36 inches wide with a minimum landing length of 60 inches. If a ramp is longer than 6 feet, it must have a handrail on either side that measure 34 to 38 inches in height.”
“Your building entrance must be flush with the ground, or must have a 36" wide ramp that is at least 60" long with a 2% slight slope so that customers in wheelchairs may enter. If the ramp is more than 6 feet long, it must also feature 34” to 38” tall handrails.”
Dining Areas
Aisles and walkways need to be 36 inches wide and there needs to be an area large enough to turn around a wheel chair.
“Obstacles located in circulation paths must be cane-detectable. This means the obstacle must be located within 27 inches of the floor or higher than 80 inches, or protruding less than 4 inches from the wall.”
Restrooms
“In an ADA compliant bathroom, there are certain requirements within the 60” x 60” handicap stall that must be met. Doors must be outswinging and at least 36” wide to accommodate wheelchair-bound customers. Door handles and latches must be easy to operate with one hand without pinching, twisting, or tightly grasping, and mounted between 34” - 48” inches above the finished floor. Doors should require less than 5 pounds of force to push or pull open.” Additional details on restaurant restroom requirements can be found here.
The cost of making your restaurant ADA compliant can be significant, but pales in comparison to the legal and safety issues associated with not being compliant. If you need funding to bring your restaurant up to par, Quikstone Capital can help. Click below to apply now.
