Equipment & Furniture Proposed Rule

During the planning of a building, architects and designers provide placement of equipment and furniture in the various rooms and spaces. Thus, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Equipment and Furniture requesting input from individuals with disabilities, industrial representative, design professionals, and others who have an interest in the final requirements. Therefore, the Proposed Rule should be reviewed and comments provided to ensure that the final rule provides enough details to assist in the design process. Comments are due to the Access Board by January 24, 2011.

The Proposed Rule request input on medical equipment, exercise equipment, beds in hotel rooms, hospitals and nursing homes, and electronic technology such as interactive transaction machines (ITMs).

In relation to exercise equipment DOJ asks several questions, including – What types of accessible exercise equipment and furniture are available on the commercial market? What types of equipment and furniture are already accessible to individuals with disabilities? Is independently operable equipment and furniture available for individuals who are blind or who have low vision, or who have manual dexterity issues? Should the Department require covered entities to provide accessible exercise equipment and furniture? How much of each type of equipment and furniture should be provided? Should the requirements for accessible equipment and furniture be the same for small and large exercise facilities, and if not, how should they differ?

Beds in hotel rooms are another area in which DOJ is seeking comments. Particularly
What are appropriate bed heights to ensure accessibility by individuals with mobility disabilities and should there be requirements for mattresses to ensure that the height of the mattress, even when compressed by the weight of a person sitting or laying down on it, remains within a certain range? Are there existing standards that the Department should look to for developing standards for beds in accessible rooms? What is the optimal clearance needed under a bed to accommodate a mechanical lift? Should any such requirements apply to all accessible guestrooms or sleeping rooms or only to a percentage of them?

In order to guide the DOJ, Accessibility Services will be providing comments. One of our points will direct DOJ to ANSI A117.1 – 2010 Section 1002.15.2 which provides “at least one bed shall be provided with an open bed frame”. We will suggest that DOJ augment this “open bed frame” requirement by providing specific dimensions. As well as including the height to the top of the mattress to allow for a transfer from a wheelchair to the bed.

The text of the rule and the fact sheet can be found at:
http://www.ada.gov/anprm2010/equipment_anprm_2010.htm

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