ADA Webinar Series: Fundamentals of the 2010 Accessibility Guidelines

Neha Patel

Posted by Neha Patel

Join us as our Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) experts, Leah Riley and Neha Patel, review the requirements for toilet and bathing rooms, sinks and kitchenettes as they relate to construction.

The session includes an AIA/CES provider/1 LU which comes with attending any one of these three sessions

What We'll Cover:

  • Scoping - When and where compliance is required
  • New Construction versus Alteration/Path of Travel
  • What Safe Harbor Means - ‘Am I Grandfathered’
  • ADA fundamentals and specifics for plumbing fixtures and accessories
  • Importance of detailing drawings and how to best manage compliance in the field
  • Repercussions of non-compliance

Tuesday, July 21 at 12pm CDT - Chicago Construction - SOLD OUT 

Thursday, July 22 at 12pm EST - New York City Construction

Tuesday, July 28 at 12pm PT - Los Angeles Construction

Burnham Nationwide is the recognized name in permit expediting and building code compliance consulting. We have been involved with iconic buildings and projects throughout the country.
Learn More About Code Compliance

What's the difference between "new construction" and "alteration" compliance requirements under the ADA?
New construction must fully comply with current ADA Standards from the start. Alterations only need to bring the specific altered area into compliance, and if the alteration affects a primary function area, there's an additional requirement to provide an accessible path of travel to that area, though that path-of-travel obligation is capped at 20% of the total alteration cost.
What does "Safe Harbor" mean, and how do I know if my building is "grandfathered"?
Safe harbor protects elements built or altered before March 15, 2012 that complied with the 1991 ADA Standards in effect at the time, those elements don't need to be retrofitted to meet the newer 2010 Standards. It's not a blanket exemption, though: certain elements (like residential units, pools, and play areas) were never covered by the 1991 Standards and don't qualify for safe harbor regardless of construction date.
What are the basic ADA scoping requirements for restrooms and kitchenettes?
Scoping determines when and how many accessible fixtures are required based on factors like total fixture count and occupancy type. For toilet rooms, this includes accessible stall dimensions and clearances; for kitchenettes, requirements cover clear floor space at sinks and reach ranges for controls, the specific thresholds vary by building type and total fixture count.
What happens if a building isn't ADA compliant?
Non-compliance can result in DOJ enforcement actions, private lawsuits from individuals encountering the barrier, and forced retrofit costs, often at a higher expense than if the accessible design had been incorporated correctly during original construction or renovation.
Why does detailing in construction drawings matter so much for ADA compliance?
Plumbing and accessibility requirements involve precise dimensional tolerances (clearances, reach ranges, mounting heights) that are easy to get technically wrong even with good intentions, clear, accurate detailing in the drawings themselves helps ensure what gets built in the field actually matches what's required, rather than relying on field crews to interpret ambiguous specs correctly.
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