• The ADA imposes strict building requirements on new consruction.construction image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
  
  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes a wide range of building codes and regulations. The construction guidelines detailed in the ADA must be applied during the design, construction, and alteration stages of buildings and facilities covered by the law. These guidelines are very detailed and specific, and cover a wide range of accessible areas and places.
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• In general, the ADA requires that all newly built or renovated buildings and facilities meet the accessibility criteria stated in the guidelines, though not all areas of the building must comply with the guidelines. Exemptions are allowed for certain areas, including raised areas used for security or observation (lookout galleries and prison guard towers), single occupant structures (tollbooths), water slides, and other nonoccupiable spaces only accessible by a ladder, narrow passageway, tunnel, or other such restricted access method.
  
  

Routes

• The ADA requires that at least one accessible route within the boundary of a building be provided for those with disabilities. This route should coincide with the route available to the general public as much as possible. In general, the route must be a minimum width of 36 inches, and with a minimum headroom of 80 inches. Accessible routes with slopes greater than 1:12 must comply with the ADA ramp regulations (see ADA Accessibility Guidelines 4.3.2 et. seq.).
  
  

Parking

• All parking facilities must allow for a sufficient number of disabled access spots. The number varies according to how many parking spots a parking facility has, but at least one spot must be provided in all parking lots. All accessible parking areas must be located within the shortest distance possible to and from an accessible entrance and access route. Spaces must be at least 96 inches wide, and be designated with the use of an accessible parking sign. These signs must be located so they are not obscured by any vehicle parking in the space (see ADA Accessibility Guidelines 4.6 et. seq.).
  
  

Other Areas

• The ADA also has requirements for bathrooms, doorways, stairwells, and other areas. For example, all bathrooms without showers or tubs must provide two grab bars near accessible toilets, one over the water tank and one near the wall next to the toilet. Stair treads must be at least 11 inches wide, and have handrails that must be able to withstand 1,112 newtons of downward force. Doorways must provide at least 32 inches of clearance, and revolving doors must provide an accessible door or gate for people with disabilities (see ADA Accessibility Guidelines 4.9, 4.16 and 4.13).