ADA Compliance
The Americans with Disabilities Act was introduced in the 1990s and created a federal mandate for accessible parking (handicap spaces) at public buildings among other things. This has been good for the pavement industry because it supersedes local regulations and makes a uniform code throughout the country.
Simply put, the ADA code is as follows:
I. Number of accessible spaces required for commercial properties, open to the public.
| # of Spaces in Lot | Minimum # of Accessible Spaces Required |
Of Those, # Required to be Van Accessible |
| 1-25 | 1 | 1 |
| 26-50 | 2 | 1 |
| 51-75 | 3 | 1 |
| 76-100 | 4 | 1 |
| 101-150 | 5 | 1 |
| 151-200 | 6 | 1 |
| 201-300 | 7 | 1 |
| 301-400 | 8 | 1 |
| 401-500 | 9 | 2 |
| 501-1000 | 2% of total | 1 in every 8 accessible spaces |
| 1001 & Over | 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000 | 1 in every 8 accessible spaces |
II. Layout
Accessible space – 8′ with 5′ hashout on left side
Two spaces can share a hashout
Van Accessible – 8′ space with 8′ hashout on right side
III. Signage
Accessible – Regular handicapped sign – Reserved parking and universal logo in center of each sign
Bottom of sign must be between 4′ and 7′ above surface
Van accessible – Same as above, except that the words “VAN ACCESSIBLE” shall be printed below the logo.
IV. Grade
Spaces, access aisles, loading zones shall have maximum slope at 2% in all directions