Stimulus Money and Tax Breaks Aid ADA Retrofitting

Author: Oce Harrison
Date: Jul 23, 2009

Institute for Human Centered Design Offers Tips for ADA Compliance

Nineteen years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), more Americans than ever are living with disabilities, 54.4 million according to the 2009 US Census. As baby boomers age and medical science increases life expectancies, the number of people living with disabilities will surely increase. The time to plan for that shift in demographics is now and conveniently there are resources available to architects who want to make livable buildings for this growing population.

The federal government’s stimulus plan has distributed to states and communities throughout the country to repair and renovate a wide range of facilities, helping them comply with the ADA.

The private sector can take advantage of tax benefits. A "disabled access credit" is available for small businesses. In addition, a tax deduction is available for businesses of any size to help offset some of the costs of improving accessibility. More information about the Disabled Tax Benefits can be found here: Tax Benefits for Businesses Who Have Employees with Disabilities.

To help architects and developers take advantage of the stimulus money and tax breaks, the Institute for Human Centered Design has a few planning tips that are often overlooked in designing buildings to help people with disabilities. While many architects are familiar with creating an accessible route to the building, as well as taking disabilities into account when designing doorways, bathrooms and emergency exits, these tips are designed to help architects navigate through a building the way a person with a disability would.

10 Tips Architects Should Consider in Building Renovation:

1. Pretend you are visiting for the first time. Is the entrance obvious? Can you find your way around easily? Is the identifying information/signage clear and predictable in design, graphics, and location? Are the identification factors (icons, features, etc.) universally understood?
2. While moving through the building, check for protruding objects in the path of travel such as fire extinguishers, water fountains, message boards, low hanging light fixtures, etc.
3. An accessible route is required to be at least 36 inches wide. However, at this dimension, expect holes in your walls from wheelchairs unable to make turns. Consider widening the route to 48 inches or better yet 60 inches.
4. Make a fist: can you open doors without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting your wrist?
5. Check interior door opening pressure should be 5 lbf or less.
6. Flooring that is level, firm, stable, slip resistant with no cracks or level change beyond ¼ inch, and is also now ‘green’.
7. Are all publically available receptacles and electric and data controls located within the reach ranges? For example, we recommend 48 inches maximum and 15 inches minimum for switches and electrical plugs. The same recommendation applies to the location of electric hand dryers, trash receptacles and toilet flushing mechanisms.
8. If stairs are provided, do they have a continuous railing with 12 inch extensions on both sides?
9. Many states have their own accessibility requirements. Always check in the state where the project is located. Call us at 1-800-949-4232 for information about the New England state’s accessibility requirements and contact information.
10. For more information on ADA specification for your stimulus funded projects, call The New England ADA Center at 1-800-929-4232. An ADA Information Specialist is available to answer your questions during business hours. We can also provide you with a free copy of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Contact:
Oce Harrison, Ed.D. | Project Director
DBTAC-New England ADA Center
A project of the Institute for Human Centered Design [formerly Adaptive Environments]
200 Portland Street
Boston, MA 02114
1-617-695-1225 x 227
www.NewEnglandADA.org
www.HumanCenteredDesign.org

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