ADA Guidelines for Restaurants

The American with Disabilities Act, or ADA, helps protect consumers with disabilities from discrimination and ensures that individuals with disabilities are able to dine or work at a restaurant as well as an able-bodied individual. The Department of Justice enforces the rules that apply to a restaurant’s building and facilities.

Parking Lot

  1. A restaurant must provide accessible spaces in its parking lot that are at least 8 feet in width. Designated spots should be on a level surface with a slope of 2 percent or less. There must be at least one accessible parking spot for every 25 parking spaces in a restaurant’s lot. Additionally, at least one in every eight accessible parking spaces needs to have an access aisle that is at least 8 feet wide so it is accessible for those with vans. A restaurant should place its accessible spaces in the location nearest its accessible entrances.

Travel Routes to the Restaurant

  1. A restaurant must provide at least one travel route that is accessible for those who wish to access the eatery from parking spaces, public transportation stops, public streets or a passenger-loading zone. Passenger loading zones ought to be parallel to a vehicle pull-up space and be at least 60 inches in width and 20 feet in length. If there are any curbs on a travel route, a restaurant must also provide a curb ramp that is at least 36 inches wide, not counting any flared sides, and have a slope of 2 percent or less.

Restaurant Ramps

  1. If a restaurant provides a ramp for its disabled patrons, the maximum slop must be 1:12 or less. Ramps have to be at least 36 inches wide with a minimum landing length of 60 inches. If a ramp is longer than 6 feet, it must have a handrail on either side that measure 34 to 38 inches in height.

Entrances

  1. If the entrance to a restaurant has stairs to the dining room, it must also provide a ramp, a lift or an alternate, accessible entrance. Accessible restaurant doors are those that provide a 32-inch opening. In the case of a double door, at least one of the doors should provide a 32-inch opening. There must be at least 18 inches of clear wall space when an individual must pull on the door to enter or exit the restaurant or a room within it. Moreover, an individual ought to be able to open or close a door with a closed fist. Beveled edges in the door must not measure more than 0.75 inches, and a threshold edge must be 0.25 inches or less.

Seats, Tables and Counters

  1. The aisles between fixed seats must be at least 36 inches wide, and restaurants should provide wheelchair accessible seats throughout the dining room. To accommodate those in wheelchairs, tabletops and counters need to measure 28 to 34 inches in height. Under the table, a restaurant must provide knee room that is at least 30 inches wide, 27 inches high and 19 inches deep. Cashier and food-ordering counters must be 36 inches tall or less or have a space on the side where restaurant staff can assist customers or pass food to a customer who cannot reach over the counter.