THE ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a regulation that promotes accessibility for individuals with various disabilities. However, it is not typically applied to private residences unless they accommodate individuals with disabilities. The ADA provides guidelines to commercial venues to ensure accessible installation of cabinetry and other construction. The ADA’s standards for accessible design are precise and can be confusing to those unfamiliar with commercial construction. For instance, in the Protruding Objects section (28CFR36, 4.4.1), objects extending from walls between 27″ and 80″ above the finished floor (AFF) should not protrude more than 4″ into walks, halls, corridors, passageways, or aisles. Surface-mounted cabinets installed between 27″ and 80″ AFF would not meet ADA requirements. Contractors handling commercial property construction should ensure that their cabinetry conforms to the applicable ADA Standards. They can find more information on the proper application of ADA Standards on the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov/.