U-shaped kitchen

[Yikes]

I evaluate a lot of older apartments for accessibility, especially if they are being used in publicly funded housing, where fundign sources (such as tax credits) have 10% of the units comply with ADA for mobility.

Many of the units have a dead-end galley kitchen with 48" between countertops. This was relatively easy to make accessible. The older codes defined a U-shaped kitchen, which requires 60" clear) as an appliance on the center of the U, and even then you could roll under the cabinets to help achieve the clearance.

However, more recent editions of CBC / ADA have defined a U shaped kitchen as anything that has 3 sides. That means that any attempt to make old kitchens like this comply with ADA will either result in moving a wall, or radically deleting cabinets to make a small L shaped kitchen.

Why did they make it more restrictive?

Does anyone have any other ideas?

 

[ADAguy]

"Yikes" use adjustable height cabinets? Its a space planning issue? Its a no brainer. I too have this issue coming up in a 1924 building that has been sued for not upgrading to ADA compliance.

Revisions can be done for minimal cost but any money out of pocket upsets him. Have you seen SB 269 yet? Its on Jerry's desk.

 

[mark handler]

You can also reduce one side to 12" base cabnets.

I did that in some of the VA Housing, years ago

 

[Yikes]

An excellent suggestion, Mark. I'd forgotten that I'd once seen 12" base cabinets in an Ikea showroom display once, and I was surprised at how useful they were.
by the way, when we replace the other cabinets, they will reduce to a custom 23" deep, so that the counter+ backsplash does not exceed 24".