Does Fairfax County enforce the ADA?
What part of the code tells me I need to spend 20% of the project cost to upgrade for accessibility?
Do all personal offices need to be accessible?
Is the private toilet room for the CEO of my company required to be accessible?
Is a restaurant kitchen required to be accessible?
Is the second floor restroom of a building without an elevator required to be accessible?
Can an automatic door opener be used for a door that lacks the proper pull or push side clearances?
Does Fairfax County enforce the
ADA?
No. The ADA is a Federal law. Fairfax County enforces the accessibility
provisions of the building code which is a state law.
If I'm altering a
tenant space in an existing office building and an accessible toilet room
is provided on the floor below, do I need to upgrade the restrooms on my
floor?
Yes. The building code requires that the accessible route to the altered
area be upgraded, this includes the restrooms that serve that area.
What part of the code tells me I need
to spend 20% of the project cost to upgrade for
accessibility?
The International Building Code requires that the entire accessible
route be upgraded completely with the exception for alterations greater
than 20% of the project cost.
Do all personal offices need
to be accessible?
No. However, the entrances to all offices must be accessible. Offices
for disabled workers must be altered to accommodate the needs of the
worker.
Is the private toilet room for the
CEO of my company required to be accessible?
No. However, the room is required to be adaptable for future conversion
to an accessible toilet room.
Is a restaurant
kitchen required to be accessible?
No. However, the kitchen must be altered to accommodate a disabled
employee if one is hired.
When upgrading the toilet
facilities of an office building, can I provide a single user toilet room
rather than upgrading the existing multi-user restroom?
This is only permissible if upgrading the existing restroom requires the
removal of a structural system member which is integral to the building’s
structural integrity and the existing number of fixtures must be
maintained.
Is the second floor
restroom of a building without an elevator required to be
accessible?
Yes. The building code does not provide exemptions for this condition.
While accessible restrooms are designed to accommodate a wheelchair user,
not all disabled persons are wheelchair-bound.
Can an automatic door
opener be used for a door that lacks the proper pull or push side
clearances?
Yes, provided the installation of the door opener meets the requirements
of ICC/ANSI A117.1.
Can the installation of fire
alarms equipped with strobe lights be used towards the 20% upgrade cost
limit?
No. The building code requires the 20% cost limit to be spent upgrading
the accessible route. Fire alarm systems are not considered part of the
accessible route.