Once a person with physical limitations makes it into a business facility, they must be able to access the goods and services offered. Routes to individual products, service or recreational offerings need to be at least 36 inches wide with sufficient room to pass if others are using the same access routes.
If the route is more than 200 feet, there must be room to pass another wheelchair.
Carpets and mats need to be secured at the edges and the pile no more than ½ inch tall. It can be difficult to maneuver a wheelchair, walker, cane, or crutches in deep pile carpet. People walking with physical limitations may fall. Thresholds in doorways should be ¼ inch or less. Thresholds may be as high as ¾ inches if beveled every ¼ inch.
Doors must open with 5 pounds or less of force and close no faster than 10 seconds from 90 degrees open to 10 degrees. Ample room to clear the opening door from the outward swing side is required. If there is no room between the door and wall to the side of the outward swing it is hard for even able-bodied individual to open. For a movement impaired individual, it may be impossible.
If you are blind obstacles that protrude from walls like fire extinguishers, drinking fountains or signs, these protrusions can result in falls and disorientation. Imagine walking along with eyes closed and hitting a drinking fountain with your belly. Protrusions must extend 4 inches or less into a path of travel. Blind people often use canes to detect barriers, but if the barriers are do not extend to floor level, they are invisible to detection of a cane.
For wheelchair bound customers and clients, counters must accommodate their height. Checking into a hotel with a counter more than 38 inches high is difficult not providing a stable writing surface to fill out forms. In a store high counters present a problem in placing items on the counter. Check writing or signing credit card receipts become a major challenge. Hotel check-in counters may have a fold down surface to fill this requirement. Retail establishments often have check writing surfaces that slide out from the counter for this purpose. These writing surfaces must be no less than 28 inches and no more than 34 inches high. The aisle in front of the counter must be at least 36” wide. If some check out counters are not accessible, signs with the international symbol for handicap accessibility denoting those that are must be present.
If ramps are provided, they must have a slight slope and cross slope. Run away wheelchairs are a hazard to the person in them and other people who may be hit by them. The slope must be no more than 1 inch rise for every 48 inches of travel.
