The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was introduced in 1990 and revised as recently as 2016. In addition to defining a disability, it forbids discrimination and requires employers to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Common ADA requirements also include ease of access, public rights-of-way, and curb ramps at pedestrian crossings. Many of the products ADA Solutions offers, including those with a detectable warning surface and truncated domes, help facilities and businesses meet the guidelines of the ADA.
Title II of the act established the requirement for these in 1991.1 By law, such surfaces are required on curb ramps, transit platform edges, and vehicular ways. One reason is to provide an indication to visually impaired individuals. The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) only allow for truncated domes as warnings, as exposed aggregate or grooves can be confused with cracks, joints, and textures on the pavement.
Chapter 6 of the ADA calls for the use of curb ramps. They provide access to sidewalks and streets for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or scooters. Otherwise, curb edges would create a safety hazard, and individuals would need to choose to stay home or risk traveling in the streets with vehicles.
These ramps include a ramp run, the sloped section that allows one to travel from the sidewalk to the street. They also include transitions at the top and bottom. Flare sides level the curb with the street, while the gutter of the roadway passes immediately adjacent to the ramp. Acceptable alternative designs include parallel curb ramps, which come together with a landing level with a road, and combined curb ramps, consisting of parallel and perpendicular ramps.
The guidelines require that a detectable warning surface begins 6 to 8 inches from the back of a curb. It must extend two feet in the direction of travel. Domes provided by ADA Solutions are available with 1.67-inch and 2.35-inch spacing and are 0.20 inches high.
Curb ramps, doorways, elevators, and platform lifts are included under this category. The slope should not be steeper than 1:20,2 and any walking surface shouldn’t have a cross slope steeper than 1:48. In addition, the clear width of walking surfaces should be at least 36 inches. The clear width of a turn must be 42 inches if the accessible route turns at 180 degrees around an element less than 48 inches in width; both accessibility requirements must be followed unless exceptions apply.
More details can be found in the ADA and Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines.
ADA Solutions Helps Meet Common Requirements
Our products are designed to meet all ADAAG requirements. Pre-assembled replaceable and long-term fiberglass reinforced composite Cast-in-Place panels are available. We also offer surface applied panels that can be retrofitted to a new construction or an existing concrete surface. Radius systems are cut to dimensions that suit each application. Photoluminescent, way-finding, and cast-iron tactile systems with truncated domes are also available to help meet ADA guidelines.
Learn more about what we offer by filling out our contact form or calling 800-372-0519.