ADA & UFAS Compliance Information. Most places in the U.S. that are open to the public are required to comply with either ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or UFAS (Uniform Federal Accessibilities Standards) regulations.
Compliance is easy if you plan ahead. When it comes to most crowd management products, there are two simple steps: start with compliant products, and install them with the appropriate amount of spacing.
Why should you care about ADA/UFAS Compliance? ADA/UFAS compliance is a legalrequirement in most places in the U. S. and is intended to ensure that the disabled can safely move about in public places. Ensuring that your facility is compliant has a number of tangible benefits, including:
Increasing your revenue by ensuring that your facility is accessible to the greatest number of customers possible.
Avoiding expensive penalties and legal costs related to non-compliance.
Avoiding the expense and public relations damage resulting from customer accidents due to non-compliance.
Most importantly, making your facility safe for the disabled public is simply the right thing to do.
How to ensure that your Crowd Management System Complies
Be sure to use compliant stanchions/posts and railings. In order to comply with ADA/UFAS 4.4.1 regarding protruding objects, the lowest tape, rope, or rail must not exceed a height of 27" from the floor surface when measured 12" or more away from the vertical post surface. This regulation was created to ensure that visually impaired people who employ a cane or guide animal detect the protruding object without a collision.
Be sure to layout and install your system properly. Proper layout of your queuing system is important for your customer's comfort as well as for compliance with ADA & UFAS requirements. Be sure to follow the suggested guidelines and consult all relevant regulations to ensure compliance. Here are some of the more important ones to consider:
4.2.1 Wheelchair Passage Width. "The minimum clear width for single wheelchair passage shall be 32" at a point and 36" continuously."
4.3.3 Width. "....if a person in a wheelchair must make a turn around an obstruction, the minimum clear width of the accessible route shall be as shown in the diagram.
ADA/UFAS 2.2 Equivalent Facilitation. If an alternative pathway for people in wheelchairs is available that provides equal or superior access, it is acceptable for your queue to have a narrower pathway than is normally required in 4.2.1 and 4.3.3. Note, however, that providing an alternative pathway does NOT relieve a facility of complying with the regulation regarding "protruding objects". In other words, you are still required to use compliant posts, no matter the pathway issue.
