Is there a handicap accessible spec for electrical switches or outlets with regard to height?
I just got called up on a bedroom to handi bath reno I did because I didn’t set the switch to handi specs.
I may joke around here a lot, but I haven’t had a punch list item or call back in I forget how long, I don’t treat this stuff like a joke. I researched the details for this job to death and never once saw a mention of switch height. If I had seen a spec for switch height I would have talked it out with the owner and said why change one switch height when all your other switches are at this other height.
Truth be told, this is driving me nutz, did I miss something? I’m actually asking a real question here.
I
Replies
http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.1
K, I can't get your link to open, feel free to give a spec, this is just athingisbotheringmething.
This is what I found at that link:
4.2.5* Forward Reach. If the clear floor space only allows forward approach to an object, the maximum high forward reach allowed shall be 48 in (1220 mm) (see Fig. 5(a)). The minimum low forward reach is 15 in (380 mm). If the high forward reach is over an obstruction, reach and clearances shall be as shown in Fig. 5(b).
4.2.6* Side Reach. If the clear floor space allows parallel approach by a person in a wheelchair, the maximum high side reach allowed shall be 54 in (1370 mm) and the low side reach shall be no less than 9 in (230 mm) above the floor (Fig. 6(a) and (b)). If the side reach is over an obstruction, the reach and clearances shall be as shown in Fig 6(c).
Bob, that is perfect, just what I wanted. For some reason I can open K's link now, so thanks to both of you, and all of you.
I am curious to find out who put this bug in this woman's ear, but I will get back to you, if you are interested. Who knows, I stopped trying to figure women out ages ago.
The government regulations and ADA specifications only say that they cannot be HIGHER than 54" off the ground.
As far as it goes, whatever is a comfortable, reachable height for the client (as long as it is NOT over 54" high) is acceptable.
Moving a switch height is pretty easy. I would just tell the client that you would be happy to come by and lower the switch to whatever height they were most comfortable with. Then do it with a smile.
James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
James, thanks for the height, but I am way below that. If I had to guess the switch is lower than 48".
I don't know what busybody twisted her shorts in a knot, but she didn't seem stressed, she was just letting me know. In any case, I will call her back when I can document something.
Sort of correct. It also states that outlets must be mounted 15" or higher (the old standard was 12").
Sort of correct
That's kinda like being "sort of pregnant". Either it is correct, or it isn't.
It is correct for light switches. This height requirement is for commercial and residential.
If you or your busnsess receives any federal funds (even if the funds are routed through state or local agencies) then your business will be inspected for compliance of ADA Accessibility. There are 31 items that are inspected, and if you fail to meet ANY of the requirements, you must submit a plan of action for correction. Failure to do so will result in the cancelation (and in some cases return of) all federal monies that you are receiving. This "receiving" of federal monies includes any federal money spent that benefits you personally, or your business.
I live in a very rural area, and I have done well over 100 of these inspections this summer. I have the checklist, and I follow it exactly when inspecting. Most businesses don't even realize that they are using, or benfitting from federal funds. Compliance of ADA guidelines (in most cases) is regulated by city inspectors, but a lot of the time a business still fails our inspection. It can be a real sticker shock when they price out the modifications that they must do. Most opt out of the use of those federal funds instead of doing the modifications.
Just a thought..
James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
James, I'm all ears. Any chance you could give up the list of inspection items? Talk about the most common failures to said list?
I'm also curious about the difference between residential and commercial, it seemed to me most of the guidelines were for commercial buildings, and weren't practical for residential. Certainly not practical for a residential rehab.
I'll scan the list and post it.
The list I use is for commercial. The list for residential is different. If I can get a copy, I'll post it also. The residential list deals with door opening widths, bathroom clearances, light switch and recepticle heights, counter heights, etc... In the residential list, it only deals with the modifications to the home that have been funded through federal funds. The rest of the home is exempt.
The residential inspections that we do are for home modifications that are funded through government grants, government programs, etc... Because these modifications are funded through our agency, we have to do these inspections BEFORE any monies are paid to the contractors. I have found that most contractors are clueless about the inspections we do, and get pretty mad when they find out they do not meet the guidelines. These guidelines and a very clear description of the inspection process is available to them free of charge, but only a handful of contractors ever ask for the guidelines in advance.
For the commercial businesses, we do these inspections on a periodic basis, and find most businesses dumbfounded that we are there, and even more dumbfounded when they find out we are there because they are using federal funds for various reasons. Sometimes these funds are through the SBA or similar organizations, and sometimes these funds are for modifications to their businesses. An awful lot of these businesses got grant money, or interest free loans through banks to make repairs, expand, etc... and never realize that these funds are provided through federal programs. When these funds are used, we gotta go inspect the business for ADA compliance.
We had a program going this summer where we placed youth workers at businesses free of charge to the business. Because federal funds were used, and the businesses benefitted from this program (free labor) they had to have an inspection, and had to pass it. This took most of them by surprise, and quite a few businesses failed the inspection, even though the city had already cleared their business for ADA compliance. These businesses had to modify their business, or lose the free labor. They ALL opted to lose the free labor.
I am now in a totally different area of work, and I no longer do these inspections personally.
Just a thought...
James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
James,
I'm curious as to where you got those lists (and will also be very interested in seeing them.)
Hey Bob!
I got them from the Texas Workforce Commission (my former employer). They got them from the federal government (probably department of labor or some similar agency). We put our heading on them, and use them vigorously. The Federal Government does spot monitor checks on these, and can pull up any or all of them at any time. If any business failed the inspection, and we still gave them funds, WE would have to repay them. Because of this, the TWC gets very nitpicky about compliance.
I now work for ACS, Inc. and we run all of the Workforce Centers in Southeast Texas. I am now the Site Manager for the Youth Center (located inside each Workforce Center). We call them the "Power Zone". I still work in the same programs as before, just a different contractor/employer. Better job, more money!
Here's the commercial list (2 pages). I'll have to wait until Monday to see if I can get a copy of the residential list from someone.
James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
Are those really .tif scans? My I explorer seems to think they are some sort of Real Time file and wants me to add the plug in?!?
.tif was the only format I could post it in that didn't take up several megs of space.
I tried to post it in a .pdf format, but I kept getting an error message that there was no .pdf writer available.
I'll tinker with it some today and see what I can do. In the meantime, if ya can open the file, the info is readable. James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
James, I think Archy's comment about sort-of correct was because you stated that the switch could not be higher then X inches, which is correct, but you forgot to note that there is also a lower limit.
Several organizations have check lists that are suitable for inspections. I have one published by BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Assn). You might check with your local BOMA office and see if they would give you a copy. I would be happy to fax you a copy of mine, but I'm not sure of any copyright problems. As long as the BOMA logo stays on the form, does that make it ok?
James, do you have time to do remodeling now, or are you fully tied up with the new job?
As of August 1, I have no more time for remodeling. After 18 years of doing remodeling/home repairs and improvements, I am tossing in the towel. I will still write, and still do some consultation work if I get a chance (and some time). On August 1st, I became the Site Manager for the Texas Workforce Center teen "Power Zone" for my area. This is the name we gave to our youth program center. The Power Zones are located inside of each of the Texas Workforce Centers. They are a completely separate entity. This is a new concept, and is gonna be BIG. We basically separated the youth from the adults in the workforce here, and I now run the center that deals with the youth (for my county). Each county in my area (3 of them total) have a center, and each center has it's own Site Manager and team. Jefferson County has 2 "Power Zones" (Beaumont, and Port Arthur). These two centers each have their own manager and team. These centers should be open and up and running by mid August. Right now, the whole 22 member team is in training.
As a State/Federal Inspector for the worksites, I followed the guidelines that you see in the list. This is not a local list for us, it is a Federally mandated list that we must follow. We used to have our own list, and we were told by the Federal Gov't to trash it and start using this one. If you notice, there is no "lower" height limit. I have never seen a business or home that had a light switch located so low that a person in a wheelchair could not reach it. The concept is to have them low enough so that they can reach it without straining.
Again, this list only affects those businesses that received or are receiving ANY federal funds. James DuHamel
J & M Home Maintenance Service
Are the Power Zones a local thing, or state wide? I have not heard of them in the San Antonio area.
I guess this means that we won't be seeing any more photo essays on installing bathtubs in rental houses. How will your brother survive with you not being there to fix his problems?
"If you notice, there is no "lower" height limit [in the list]." But there is in the law! Whoever put the list together provbably figured no one would be dumb enough to put one so low, so they left it off of the list to keep it simple. Doens't mean the requirement doesn't exist, though.
I used to do a lot of regulatory complince matrices and lists and procedures for bankers ,
Most laws and regs are fairly complex because they're trying to cover every eventuality. In translating those things to real life you don't try to cover every wrinkle; you try to cover what is likely. Otherwise, you'd just hand 'em a copy of ther law/reg.
About the height specs, if you look thru Bob's post, 22068.6 , you will see there are reach over specs that lower the height maximum for different situations.
The American Disabilities Act requires that all new construction and construction remodels of commertial buildings meet the current requirements ,.....most of the information regarding these specs, can be retrieved from the net... try getting the info from the arch of stamp first...most of the time the have a spec sheet in the blue prints.... if not Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center might help .it has all the information you need. http://www.jan.wvu.edu good luck....Mark
Hey Qtrmeg.
How about throwing this to FHB and see if they would do a feature in a future issue for all handicap mods. Such as wall plugs, switches, countertops as well as slope on a ramp?
So Andy how about it?
Edited 8/3/2002 10:45:15 AM ET by weekendwarrior
W, problem is, we have so many questions and their mag is only so big.
What I found hard was that the details I needed for residential were buried under tons of commercial specs, so that makes it difficult to get what you want. So you live and learn, now when I want handi specs for electrical I will know to look under reach over specs, and who knows how many other headings they could be under.
Luckily I was ok this time, but I am still curious as to how this came up. I will give her a call this weekend to see, and see how things are, yada yada.