5 Common ADA Restroom Mistakes at Special Events

Even with the right ADA units in place, simple oversights can make special-event restrooms inaccessible and create headaches for guests and organizers alike

You provide the required number of ADA accessible units for special events. You provide regular service for the restrooms. And yet, service techs report grouchy users and harried special-event organizers on site, and complaints about ADA service are abound. It may be that you or the event organizers are falling for one of the most common pitfalls related to ADA restrooms. Keep these frequent mistakes in mind to ensure your events are truly accessible:

Ignoring the path of travel.
You’ve made sure the restroom is sitting on level ground, but what about the immediate surrounding area? Sure, your unit may stay put, but will the user stay upright when stepping out the door?
It’s common to focus solely on the unit while ignoring the terrain on the path of travel leading to the restrooms. If the path is loose gravel, deep sand or thick grass, it is effectively impassable for many wheelchair users, regardless of how compliant the restroom itself is.
Falling into the turn-radius trap.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires a specific amount of clearance space outside the unit. This allows users to maneuver and easily approach the door. If you place units to close to a fence, trailers or other infrastructure, you may inadvertently block the vital turn radius.
Believing the “general overflow” misconception.
When faced with a wall of guests moving into the portable sanitation area of an event, it can be easy for attendants and event organizers to direct able-bodied individuals toward ADA units to “alleviate general overflow.” However, this can create more complex bottlenecks when the units are not available for individuals who need them. And, when it comes to ADA restrooms, those bottlenecks can have legal ramifications as well as damage your company’s reputation.
To avoid this, clearly mark units as “Reserved for Guests with Disabilities,” educate event organizers on the legal and operational risks of directing overflow to ADA units, and advocate for on-site restroom attendants to better control crowds.
Ignoring the slope.
The general wisdom and compliance standards dictate a ramp, or approach slope, of no more than 1 inch of rise for every 12 inches of run (1:12). Even the slightest incline on uneven ground can make the difference between a unit that is safely accessible versus an impassible lawn ornament.
Neglecting interior floor space.
Hopefully, you and your service techs aren’t guilty of this one, but it is common among event organizers. They take a look at the ADA restrooms with their larger footprint and think it’s available storage space. Poll your service techs how often they’ve found extra supplies, cleaning equipment or paper goods stored inside an accessible restroom. It’s beyond time to educate event organizers on this one.
Storing supplies inside ADA portable restrooms creates floor obstructions that nullify the unit’s purpose entirely. The ADA requires 5% of event restrooms be accessible, and organizers rarely go above and beyond the required number, voiding one accessible unit can nullify the entire event’s claims to ADA compliance. At the heart of the matter: If an able-bodied service tech can’t enter a unit without knocking something over or tripping, how is a wheelchair user or anyone else with a disability supposed to use that same restroom?