Accessibility Codes & Standards
Sort of a 2 part question here:
Can anyone shed some light on the relationship between Ch 11 IBC, ANSI 117.1, and ADA standards?
And while preparing for the PA test, is there one to focus my efforts on that will cover all the accessibility bases? Any notable differences we should keep in mind that I've overlooked?
I struggle to understand which standard is applicable in exactly which situation, and realize the actual standards they outline are nearly identical. When are we concerned with ADA standards (I realize ADA is not a code) versus IBC Ch 11? Is Ch 11 effectively incorporating the whole of ANSI 117.1 by reference? Do they all apply and it's a matter of following the most stringent standard?
An understanding of this would really help my understanding at work, as well as understanding the context of what I'm studying.
Thanks for any input
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Kellie,
Here's a good way of looking at this that I think can help you:
1) Chapter 11 of IBC covers the Scoping Requirements for accessibility. Essentially, it tells you WHEN you have to make various elements throughout your building accessible. Examples would be when you have to provide an accessible route, when you have to make certain rooms accessible, when you have to design restrooms to be accessible, etc.
2) Once you've determined in Chapter 11 that something in your project needs to be accessible, ANSI and ADA then tell you HOW to go about doing that. IBC Chapter 11 tells you "you must make this restroom accessible." You then turn to ANSI and ADA for all the diagrams about floor clearances, grab bars, sink heights, fixture locations, etc. that you must include to make that restroom accessible.
3) I would offer to you that ANSI and ADA are very, very, very close to the same documents. Me personally, I studied ANSI A117 and it was just fine. I do not believe that the typical diagrams you encounter for accessibility - door approaches, fixture clearances, minimum required floor spaces, etc. - differ between these two documents AT ALL. I have not experience this in my work and I have been doing code research for my office for 10 years +.
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potzy230, it is indeed!
Check out page 116 of the ARE 5.0 Guidelines for the list of current building codes and references that are used on the exams.
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles
ARE Community -
I think David's explanation above is great. I just wanted to add that exam questions typically highlight which code you need to refer to. Also, like others said, the differences are minor, but here is a good website highlighting some of them: https://www.bstk.studio/blog/accessibilitycodecompare
Good luck!
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