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Access to raised platform Yes or No

Examiner

Examiner

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Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
521
Location
USA
Given: 2006 IBC, 2003 ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2010 ADA

New Construction

Business Occupancy

Minimum Construction Type V-B

Automatic Fire Suppression

County Supervisors’ board/meeting room has a raised platform where the supervisors will sit and conduct business in the board/meeting room. Visitors will be seated in front of the platform. Room is under 750-sf.

Entrance to board/meeting room is accessible. Will an accessible ramp be required to access the raised platform where the Supervisors are seated? I do not think the raised platform qualifies for an employee work area as defined in the accessible definitions.

References to relative Code Sections would be welcome.
 
Are the board members not employees of the county?

Isn't the board meeting the primary function of the space?

Would/could the room be used for anything other than board meetings?

I would expect access to be required.
 
IBC 2012

1103.1 Where required.

Sites, buildings, structures, facilities, elements and spaces, temporary or permanent, shall be accessible to persons with physical disabilities.

1104.4 Multilevel buildings and facilities.

At least one accessible route shall connect each accessible level, including mezzanines, in multilevel buildings and facilities.

ADAAG 2010

Advisory 206.2.4 Spaces and Elements. Accessible routes must connect all spaces and elements required to be accessible including, but not limited to, raised areas and speaker platforms.
 
http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/sl/final.htm

NOTE: Section 11 has not been incorporated in the Department of Justice accessibility standards and therefore is not enforceable.

11.3 Legislative and Regulatory Facilities

This section contains requirements for legislative and regulatory facilities. Legislative facilities include town halls, city council chambers, city or county commissioners' meeting rooms, and State capitols. Regulatory facilities are those which house State and local entities whose functions include regulating, governing, or licensing activities. This section has been clarified in the final rule as applying to public meeting rooms, hearing rooms, and chambers. An appendix note provides examples of the facilities and spaces covered by this section.

Section 11.3.1 requires access to raised speakers' platforms, spectator seating and press areas. Areas that are raised such as speakers' platforms, or depressed and accessed by ramps or platform lifts with entry ramps must provide a turning space complying with 4.2.3 so that the space can be entered and exited in a forward direction safely. For clarity, those requirements in the interim rule applicable to hearing rooms and chambers are provided in this section separately from those in 11.2 for courtrooms.

Section 11.3.1(1) requires access to at least one of each type of raised speakers' platform. This provision has been revised for clarity and a reference to ADAAG 4.32 has been removed since it may be excessive and not all speakers' platforms contain counters. Section 11.3.1(2) addresses spectator, press, and other areas. This provision has been revised consistent with a similar requirement for courtrooms in 11.2. See 11.2.1(1)(a) above.

Most city council chambers and legislative chambers contain a public address system and multiple microphones for numerous speakers. In such facilities, it is more efficient to supplement an audio-amplification system with a permanently installed assistive listening system to enable people who are deaf or hard of hearing to participate in the proceedings. Section 11.3.2 requires a permanently installed assistive listening system in each assembly area equipped with an audio- amplification system. The interim rule required a permanently installed assistive listening system in 50 percent of all hearing rooms, meeting rooms, and chambers designated for public use. As revised in the final rule, this provision is more consistent with existing ADAAG requirements in 4.1.3(19)(b). This provision differs from 4.1.3(19)(b) in that it applies without respect to occupancy load or the provision of fixed seating.
 
Doesn't appear to qualify for any of the exceptions noted in Section 1103. Appears to be more like a performance platform, jury box, judging station, etc. Apparently not a single user situation.

I'd have to hear a pretty good argument for exemption and quite frankly I doubt there is one.

Needs to be accessible.
 
Thanks to all. Yes it is required was my feeling also but boss and client will not like me telling them that.
 
Examiner, let's all hope that the boss and the client will continue to walk upright through out their adult and senior lives!

Agree with the others, IMO it needs to be accessible to any party thats going to have access to the platform.

pc1
 
Even those who walk upright can have issues with being able to raise their feet high enough to use stairs.
 
If your state adopted Appendix E of IBC 2006, you may have further documentation to require this accessible route:

IBC 2006; E103.1 Raised platforms. In banquet rooms or spaces where a head table or speaker’s lectern is located on a raised platform, an accessible route shall be provided to the platform.
 
Sorry Mark, perhaps a poor choice of words. It was an effort to respond to an earlier comment and therefore I used the same wording. The intent was to convey that even those who are able to negotiate without the use of wheelchairs, may not be capable of negotiating stairs and therefore need to rely on ramps or lifts or elevators.
 
Big Mac said:
Sorry Mark, perhaps a poor choice of words. It was an effort to respond to an earlier comment and therefore I used the same wording. The intent was to convey that even those who are able to negotiate without the use of wheelchairs, may not be capable of negotiating stairs and therefore need to rely on ramps or lifts or elevators.
Click to expand...
I know. I have taken slaps to the head over similar comments
 
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