heartofglass
Bronze Member
We're building an 18" high platform stage, 11' x 15' in a small bar with occupancy of less than 100. The platform will be used only by musicians, and the only access to the stage is through the "green room" (performer dressing room, not open to the public). Audience members are not permitted on stage for insurance reasons, nor is there any public access to the stage, only through a locked room. I'm getting conflicting information about whether we need a wheelchair ramp to the stage, since we don't provide any other audience access.
Also, the stage is not really a permanent structure and may be disassembled at times. And there is no fixed seating in this space, it is standing room only. It's a separate performance area room attached to the bar, open only while bands are playing.
If we were to build an 18 foot long, 3' wide wheelchair ramp in this small room, as we were told by one city worker, it would have to wrap around a couple walls, with landings, and would eat up most of the standing room, bringing our occupancy for live music events down to less than 50 people when we submitted that plan. Which defeats the purpose. Is there any way around this, with such an occupancy of less than 100 people? Here are some codes and exceptions I found, but I'm not sure if I'm interpreting them correctly:
"206.2.6 Performance Areas.* Where a circulation path directly connects a performance area to an assembly seating area, an accessible route shall directly connect the assembly seating area with the performance area.* An accessible route shall be provided from performance areas to ancillary areas or facilities used by performers unless exempted by 206.2.3 Exceptions 1 through 7."
(We don't have any path connecting our seating to performance area)
"206.2.3 Multi-Story Buildings and Facilities.* At least one accessible route shall connect each story and mezzanine in multi-story buildings and facilities.
EXCEPTIONS:*
1.* In private buildings or facilities that are less than three stories or that have less than 3000 square feet (279 m2) per story, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories provided that the building or facility is not a shopping center, a shopping mall, the professional office of a health care provider, a terminal, depot or other station used for specified public transportation, an airport passenger terminal, or another type of facility as determined by the Attorney General.
2.* Where a two story public building or facility has one story with an occupant load of five or fewer persons that does not contain public use space, that story shall not be required to be connected to the story above or below."
We are not one of the listed facility types, and the small platform stage, w/ its P.A. speakers, monitor speakers, drum kit and other obstacles, does have an occupant load of 5 or fewer people. We wouldn't be able to fit one of those 17 person bluegrass bands or an orchestra up there, this is just for local rock shows.
We did want to have the access from the green room to the stage be a ramp w/ a handrail if possible, to assist in getting amps onstage w/ a dolly if need be, but the slope would not be ADA. However, our employees could easily wheel a person in a wheelchair onstage, and I seem to remember seeing somewhere (maybe it was just in relation to high slopes at an entrance) that if a 1:12 slope was unfeasible, there could be a system where employees onsite assist people in wheelchairs who would like to enter.
I feel like in our small space, with our small total budget for tenant improvements, putting in a gigantic ramp that takes up much of the space could be considered unfeasible?
Does anyone have experience with this? None of the other venues with stages here have wheelchair ramps, and only 1 of them has a lift (a much higher occupancy at 375), so I'm wondering how they all got around it? Maybe just the fact that this is a tiny town with only 1 person in a wheelchair, so they haven't had to deal with it? But how the heck did they pass building inspections if this is really necessary? I mean, an 18 foot ramp with handrails is pretty conspicuous to be missing....
Also, the stage is not really a permanent structure and may be disassembled at times. And there is no fixed seating in this space, it is standing room only. It's a separate performance area room attached to the bar, open only while bands are playing.
If we were to build an 18 foot long, 3' wide wheelchair ramp in this small room, as we were told by one city worker, it would have to wrap around a couple walls, with landings, and would eat up most of the standing room, bringing our occupancy for live music events down to less than 50 people when we submitted that plan. Which defeats the purpose. Is there any way around this, with such an occupancy of less than 100 people? Here are some codes and exceptions I found, but I'm not sure if I'm interpreting them correctly:
"206.2.6 Performance Areas.* Where a circulation path directly connects a performance area to an assembly seating area, an accessible route shall directly connect the assembly seating area with the performance area.* An accessible route shall be provided from performance areas to ancillary areas or facilities used by performers unless exempted by 206.2.3 Exceptions 1 through 7."
(We don't have any path connecting our seating to performance area)
"206.2.3 Multi-Story Buildings and Facilities.* At least one accessible route shall connect each story and mezzanine in multi-story buildings and facilities.
EXCEPTIONS:*
1.* In private buildings or facilities that are less than three stories or that have less than 3000 square feet (279 m2) per story, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories provided that the building or facility is not a shopping center, a shopping mall, the professional office of a health care provider, a terminal, depot or other station used for specified public transportation, an airport passenger terminal, or another type of facility as determined by the Attorney General.
2.* Where a two story public building or facility has one story with an occupant load of five or fewer persons that does not contain public use space, that story shall not be required to be connected to the story above or below."
We are not one of the listed facility types, and the small platform stage, w/ its P.A. speakers, monitor speakers, drum kit and other obstacles, does have an occupant load of 5 or fewer people. We wouldn't be able to fit one of those 17 person bluegrass bands or an orchestra up there, this is just for local rock shows.
We did want to have the access from the green room to the stage be a ramp w/ a handrail if possible, to assist in getting amps onstage w/ a dolly if need be, but the slope would not be ADA. However, our employees could easily wheel a person in a wheelchair onstage, and I seem to remember seeing somewhere (maybe it was just in relation to high slopes at an entrance) that if a 1:12 slope was unfeasible, there could be a system where employees onsite assist people in wheelchairs who would like to enter.
I feel like in our small space, with our small total budget for tenant improvements, putting in a gigantic ramp that takes up much of the space could be considered unfeasible?
Does anyone have experience with this? None of the other venues with stages here have wheelchair ramps, and only 1 of them has a lift (a much higher occupancy at 375), so I'm wondering how they all got around it? Maybe just the fact that this is a tiny town with only 1 person in a wheelchair, so they haven't had to deal with it? But how the heck did they pass building inspections if this is really necessary? I mean, an 18 foot ramp with handrails is pretty conspicuous to be missing....
