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Wheelchair turning space required inside a dental treatment room?

  • Thread starter Colockum Meghan
  • Start date
C

Colockum Meghan

Guest
Hello again,
I think my nickname should be 'constantly confused in Colockum'.

Does the dental treatment room require a turning 'T' or circle inside the treatment room?

Why can't I figure this out?!

Below is a nice graphic from the US Access Board ADA Standards. Note the
'Exam Rooms and Offices' saying they must be 'accessible'. Does that mean the 'T' or the Circle wheelchair turning element? Or just the door clearances?
upload_2020-4-5_13-18-39.png
 
I think it must, right? Accessibility in a room includes door clearances and the wheelchair 'T' or circle, but the wheelchair turning element can overlap door clearances as shown here:
upload_2020-4-5_13-23-42.png
I think this is accessible, but if I don't have to have the wheelchair turning element, then that would be great.
 
This is also from the ADA standards:
upload_2020-4-5_13-33-58.png
This doesn't mention commercial spaces or professional health care spaces. Does that mean that NONE of the spaces in a dental office need the wheelchair turning space except the bathroom?
 
And then there's this:
upload_2020-4-5_13-36-19.png
So the dental office doesn't need turning spaces included in the design for anything except the bathroom?
 
LOL well, yes, doesn't everyone? How else do we solve our problems?
 
its-why-you-create-characters-so-you-can-argue-with-yourself-quote-1.jpg
 
ANSWERED: Okay I did answer my own question apparently?! Anyway, I contacted the US Access Board tech support and they responded: No wheelchair turning circle or 'T' required inside dental or medical exam rooms. However, door clearances are required on both sides of the doors. You're welcome! Stay Home!
 
All of the exam rooms? I have a facility where every room has a bed that obstructs the maneuvering space. Exam rooms are not scoped by the IBC, but it would seem to makes sense that they could follow the 5%/not less than 1 rule....? The facility has 5 exam rooms and 2 treatment rooms, so one of each?
 
Sifu said:
All of the exam rooms? I have a facility where every room has a bed that obstructs the maneuvering space. Exam rooms are not scoped by the IBC, but it would seem to makes sense that they could follow the 5%/not less than 1 rule....? The facility has 5 exam rooms and 2 treatment rooms, so one of each?
Click to expand...
Not truly an employee work area, so what makes it exempt?
 
I think it is unlikely that there will ever be a need for all exam rooms to be available for accessible use. I found a Q & A from ADA.gov that says not all need to be accessible, just doesn't give a threshold number.
 
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