ADA

[randyt]

Since I've had surgery I've been hobbling around. It sucks, I can't imagine being disabled.

I've been in construction most of my life.

ADA sta ds for American with disabilities act. It's about requirements to make a structure more accessible, bathrooms and suchlike. I've only seen these requirements in a commercial settings.

A lot of guys complained about it. To be honest I always thought it was a ok thing. Even more so now since my surgery.

I think they go overboard though. Take a sawmill does a ADA bathroom really make sense in my mind no.

I had a customer that wanted a shower put in a backroom of her beauty shop for her own use. She operated out of a old house. No ramps out front either. The code made her put in a ADA approved shower. Doubling the cost.
Way overboard

Anyhoo since I've been hobbling around that popped I to my mind. I have always supported ADA if common sense is usef

 

[Mountain trapper]

I spent most of my working career either overseas or in remote locations that didn't have any of these requirements. There isn't many cripples working in remote oilfields, mines or war zones.

 

[randyt]

I spent most of my working career either overseas or in remote locations that didn't have any of these requirements. There isn't many cripples working in remote oilfields, mines or war zones.

Exactly, commonsense is used in those situations. Not so much here in USA

 

[Pearl]

The building I clean is in that town's "Historic District". It does NOT have to be handicap accessible! The offices are rented to private businesses, some have clients who visit. The very first part of the lease agreement is a statement from the city (town) explaining the Historic District exemption!! On the bad side, the building is very old and is often in need of repairs. On the good side, Hubby is the owner's handyman so it keeps him busy!!

 

[Mountain trapper]

The building I clean is in that town's "Historic District". It does NOT have to be handicap accessible! The offices are rented to private businesses, some have clients who visit. The very first part of the lease agreement is a statement from the city (town) explaining the Historic District exemption!! On the bad side, the building is very old and is often in need of repairs. On the good side, Hubby is the owner's handyman so it keeps him busy!!

I think the law states for new construction, or when practical.

 

[Pearl]

I think the law states for new construction, or when practical.

Possibly! I know a woman who bought a 4 plex of offices about 3-4 years ago. The seller had to have handicap updates done before he could sell. The building was about 10-12 years old then and was built to be handicap accessible then!

 

[randyt]

The building I clean is in that town's "Historic District". It does NOT have to be handicap accessible! The offices are rented to private businesses, some have clients who visit. The very first part of the lease agreement is a statement from the city (town) explaining the Historic District exemption!! On the bad side, the building is very old and is often in need of repairs. On the good side, Hubby is the owner's handyman so it keeps him busy!!

What? Hubby is a handy man and wouldn't fix your hose bibb?...

 

[Mountain trapper]

Possibly! I know a woman who bought a 4 plex of offices about 3-4 years ago. The seller had to have handicap updates done before he could sell. The building was about 10-12 years old then and was built to be handicap accessible then!

Exactly. And that would be considered "practical" to update.

 

[randyt]

ADA is federal but it is really to the discretion of local building inspectors. They could push it if they want

 

[Weedygarden]

There is an app to help know where they can have wheelchair access, or not. ADA does not cover this very important aspect of accessibility for wheelchairs.

https://www.rollmobility.com/

There is an app for phones to help find where they can go, or not. It is a self reporting group, so people who have gone places can report what is accessible, or not.

They also have an Instagram page that helps people to see the challenges of accessibility for wheelchair bound people.

 

[Weedygarden]

 

[randyt]

When my MIL got up in age we put a ramp into our house. After she passed we took it out. Anyhoo a few years ago my wife had knee surgery and was in a wheelchair. I'm here to tell you, it's a PIA to pull a wheelchair up steps.

 

[Weedygarden]

When my MIL got up in age we put a ramp into our house. After she passed we took it out. Anyhoo a few years ago my wife had knee surgery and was in a wheelchair. I'm here to tell you, it's a PIA to pull a wheelchair up steps.

Some places are inaccessible for wheelchairs. Totally impossible to access. And, many places think that if they are ADA approved, they are accessible when they are only accessible for certain disabilities.

I have heard people talk/complain about the handicap parking spaces in public spaces and what a waste they are. This was more than 30+ years ago. One day it could be them!

I think that like other things, it takes time for things to be accepted. Maybe it is the grumpy older people to get out of their own wants and needs to realize that accommodating special needs is not the end of the world. I was raised by grumpy old people who complained and disapproved of so many things, so I always thought about what is so hard about this?

 

[Pearl]

What? Hubby is a handy man and wouldn't fix your hose bibb?...

He's afraid if he messed something up I'd bite him or something!! But yes, he's a handyman!!

 

[Tirediron]

He's afraid if he messed something up I'd bite him or something!! But yes, he's a handyman!!

I have used the "oh you won't like the way I do it story to avoid projects too.

 

[d_marsh]

I have been to the girl's college a couple times. I have been to medical facilities that were less ADA friendly/compliant than her college is. There was a row of handicap stalls 25-30 cars long, each a stall and a half wide. Plus everything is ramped with tons of handicap signage. There is even a button you can push just inside the doors to the main building if you need assistance. Apparently someone will come to you instead of making you come to the main office.

 

[Pearl]

I have used the "oh you won't like the way I do it story to avoid projects too.

If I asked him to do it, he'll do it! But this is an old house with old plumbing. Sheet happens, either one of us could make a mistake!! If he does it and something goes wrong, Pearl will be mad! If I do and something goes wrong, Pearl will be mad at him for not doing it for me!! It's a bad situation for the poor guy,!!

 

[randyt]

I have found the husband is the head of the household and the wife is the neck and can turn the head any which way she wants....

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm always aware when I take husband out. We use the handicap parking because he can't walk and I have to get the wheelchair to him. I dread when he needs the restroom at the medical clinic, though (I know, of all places), the doors are so dang heavy. I have to fling it open, (opens in) turn the wheelchair around to pull it in backwards, while trying to hold open a heavy door. Get him close to the toilet, and then reverse the whole process to get out. There's no auto door open button, wish there was. And once there was a chair of all things in there blocking the ability to even get him turned around. This is supposedly a handicap bathroom. Another rant is the extra wide wheelchairs provided at the entrance for your use. Those are fine, except if you are seeing a doctor and the office door won't accomodate the extra wide. And then that's all they have in the lobby that are left.

 

[Caribou]

I’m thinking about putting in a ramp. We only have about three steps but it could get to where those steps matter. And not too far off.

 

[Amish Heart]

Ramps are great. We have two. One going out from our bedroom door to the deck and then it ramps, and another off the front porch. I like it, too, because I can load a wagon with groceries and bring it all the way up to the door by using the ramp. I also reload the firewood holders on our big porch that way...load up the wagon and pull it up the ramp. The walker has been hard for husband lately, so now he's been riding the scooter thru the house, out the front door, down the ramp, right to the truck. Super easy.

 

[Pearl]

I have found the husband is the head of the household and the wife is the neck and can turn the head any which way she wants....

You got part of that right

 

[Weedygarden]

I'm always aware when I take husband out. We use the handicap parking because he can't walk and I have to get the wheelchair to him. I dread when he needs the restroom at the medical clinic, though (I know, of all places), the doors are so dang heavy. I have to fling it open, (opens in) turn the wheelchair around to pull it in backwards, while trying to hold open a heavy door. Get him close to the toilet, and then reverse the whole process to get out. There's no auto door open button, wish there was. And once there was a chair of all things in there blocking the ability to even get him turned around. This is supposedly a handicap bathroom. Another rant is the extra wide wheelchairs provided at the entrance for your use. Those are fine, except if you are seeing a doctor and the office door won't accomodate the extra wide. And then that's all they have in the lobby that are left.

I would really be interested in seeing what the ideal handicapped restroom would look like for people in wheelchairs.
I think I have told about this somewhere here before. I drove my ex back from California to Colorado when he was no longer able to do many things for himself, relative to ALS. We were somewhere between California and Colorado and of course he needed to use the restroom. For people who know that 1000 mile stretch, there are mostly truck stops, or there were at that time, 27 years ago, the ability for him to access and take care of his own business was a big challenge. Could you see me taking him into a men's restroom? Or should we have gone into the women's restroom? One of the ways that he adapted at that time was wearing sweat pants with elastic waists. He was struggling to walk. We ended up stopping at a rest stop and we walked out behind it in order for him to take care of his business and for me to help him. That was the day that I drove the 944 Porsche faster than I had ever driven in my life, in order to make that trip in one day, and we did make it in one day. Fortunately, that stretch of road was not heavily patrolled and I didn't get stopped for speeding. We would have probably had a ride in the back of a patrol car if we had.

While we all remember the debacle of allowing people who declare themselves whatever gender they want to be and allowing them to use whatever restroom they want to, there could be at least one restroom in public settings that allows for one person at a time, and is generic, not designated male or female, but is wheelchair accessible. That would be another way of helping some people out.

One of my grandfather's talked about the word "restroom." He wondered how it ever got that name, because no one ever goes in to rest. I don't use this term, but lavatory is more appropriate. ""Lavatory," means a sink or a room containing sinks and usually toilets, used for washing hands; essentially, a bathroom"

 

[randyt]

Restroom is for resting bowels

 

[randyt]

I've done a lot of ada restrooms. I can post a picture some day when I go back to my office. The important part is that there is enough room to back a wheelchair along side the toilet so a person can scoot over. The lav should be low enough so someone can wash their hands from a wheelchair. There should be grab bars along side and back.of the toilet. There's more but that is the quickie

 

[Weedygarden]

I've done a lot of ada restrooms. I can post a picture some day when I go back to my office. The important part is that there is enough room to back a wheelchair along side the toilet so a person can scoot over. The lav should be low enough so someone can wash their hands from a wheelchair. There should be grabbers along side and back.of the toilet. There's more but that is the quickie

If you watch the videos for Roll Mobility, you see the difficulties that people have to use the lavatory. Yes, have to be able to roll the wheelchair up close enough to the sink to wash their hands.

 

[Caribou]

One of my grandfather's talked about the word "restroom." He wondered how it ever got that name, because no one ever goes in to rest. I don't use this term, but lavatory is more appropriate. ""Lavatory," means a sink or a room containing sinks and usually toilets, used for washing hands; essentially, a bathroom"

English is a weird language. For example, why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?

 

[randyt]

If you watch the videos for Roll Mobility, you see the difficulties that people have to use the lavatory. Yes, have to be able to roll the wheelchair up close enough to the sink to wash their hands.

There are some very specific dimensions that need to be followed. Center points. Distance from side wall etc. I am sure it fits the majority but not every one

 

[randyt]

There are specific ADA dimensions for a urinal as well.

Take the toilet flush handle, to meet ADA it must be on the side of the tank farthest from the wall. Someone in a wheelchair shouldn't need to reach over to flush the toilet

 

[Bacpacker]

My niece finished up her Masters in architecture. She had an entire semester long class on ADA design requirements