ADA's Affect on Common Retail Fixtures

Having recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, the American with Disabilities Act is receiving a lot of press coverage lately. Reading all these articles brings to mind a piece that F.C. Dadson's Troy Schwehr wrote a while ago about how ADA guidelines affect event the smallest details in store design.

To keep the ADA celebration going, here's an except from that article. The entire article can be found here.

Measuring Accessibility
Designing accessible stores is heavily based on measurements. The United States Access Board, the federal agency that oversees the list of design standards, has assigned appropriate heights, widths, amounts, etc. -when applicable- to everything from toilets to door handles. While not as obvious a candidate for ADA intervention as bathrooms or entrances, store fixtures also have their own requirements. Let's take a look at two common types of retail fixtures: counters and displays.

Counters
ADA guidelines for counters depend primarily on what the counters are used for. For example, counters with cash registers require that at least a 36 inch long section of the counter measure no higher than 36 inches from the finished floor. Service or reception counters, on the other hand, may have either a portion similar to the cash counter or show reasonable accommodation through something like a drop-down shelf for customers in wheelchairs to complete written transactions or an open area alongside the counter where customers may be helped. Food serving counters have still different guidelines. Despite these differences there are three key things to remember that apply to all counters: 1) they must be on an accessible route - an aisle that is at least 36 inches wide, 2) the accessible route must provide access to the accessible entrance and other areas where merchandise and service are provided, and 3) all counters need to have an area of clear space, at least 30 inches by 48 inches, directly in front of the counter to allow customers in wheelchairs to pull up.

Displays
Guidelines for merchandising displays aren't quite as stringent as those for counters. Not all merchandise has to be within the reach range of a customer in a wheelchair as long as sales associates are available to help retrieve items. However, permanent display fixtures must be located on accessible routes with additional space at corners for maneuvering, though it doesn't hurt sales to make all floor fixtures, permanent and temporary, accessible is space allows.