Public Architects Committee

 View Only

Community HTML

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Quick Links

Who we are

The Public Architects (PA) Committee promotes excellence in public architecture and enhances the role of the public architect as an essential element in the planning, design, construction, and management of public facilities. Join us!

  • 1.  Public Accommodation to Provide Changing Tables for Adults with Disabilities

    Posted 08-22-2019 05:16 PM
    Good Afternoon,

    AIA PA was just asked to testify in front of our Senate Labor and Industry Committee in October regarding legislation that would require large facilities (to be defined) of public accommodation to provide changing tables for adults with disabilities.

    https://wheelchairtravel.org/airports-with-adult-changing-tables-usa/

    The Senate legislation will limit the requirement to large facilities such as stadiums, airports, museums, and other larger buildings where there is a lot of foot traffic.  It will be limited to new construction or large renovation projects, when an adult changing table must be incorporated.  The hearing will highlight the scope of the problem (i.e., families who cannot easily go anywhere in public without experiencing extreme inconvenience or indignity because of the special needs of their aging children). 

    We were specifically asked to weigh in on the legislation from the perspective of large-scale construction or the implications for building design. This topic is currently being discussed by our Building Codes subcommittee but I thought I would post it here too. 

    Has anyone seen similar legislation introduced in your state?  Has anyone testified on similar legislation that would be willing to share any testimony or materials with us?

    Thanks!
    Amal



    ------------------------------
    Amal Mahrouki
    AIA Pennsylvania
    Harrisburg PA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Public Accommodation to Provide Changing Tables for Adults with Disabilities

    Posted 08-24-2019 01:53 PM

    Amal,

    A similar law was floated in the Arizona legislature last year (HB 2529 https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/54leg/1R/bills/hb2529p.pdf) but was held and stopped by one law maker (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2019/03/06/rep-anthony-kern-blocks-bill-expand-diaper-changing-tables-arizona/3062019002/) for typical Arizona reason (State government shouldn't tell businesses what to do- unless it's something that the State legislature wants them to do....)​.

    As a public owner, and personally as an architect, I had no objection to the bill. As architects, what is our role? It's, as your legislature suggests, experts in the impact of the proposal on construction.  But just as important, we are advocates for the users of the facilities.  We've already supported regular changing tables for infants. Most of the larger changing tables will have to occur in single occupancy/family/unisex restrooms because health aids and family members often are a different sex than the child or adult needing care.  We provide a family/unisex restroom in all of our facilities because it's the right thing to do and really needed to properly serve our entire user community with dignity. With the wheel chair access in these restrooms, we're really not having to make the room much bigger, if at all, to accommodate the larger changing table.  The difference in cost between the infant changing table and larger one for an adult or older child is only hundreds of dollars, not really anything in the scope or scale of large(r) public facilities.
    The bill that you reference is so similar to ours that I would guess it's typical of a lot of legislation today: written and promoted by a single national organization, then floated separately in each state.  Your state seems to have a reasonable approach so far: place the very small burden on the projects and owners that can afford it and serve significant sizes of users.



    ------------------------------
    Arlen Solochek FAIA
    Owner
    Arlen M. Solochek, Consulting Architect
    Phoenix AZ
    Arlen.Solochek@domail.maricopa.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Public Accommodation to Provide Changing Tables for Adults with Disabilities

    Posted 08-26-2019 12:42 AM
    I have not participated in any legislation regarding adult changing tables but Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) has already installed one changing table in a newly renovated family restroom in our N Concourse. If it is a known requirement from the beginning I don't think it is too much of an additional burden. What might become an issue is if a pulley system/hoist system is required. While the hoist/pulley is helpful for caregivers who might struggle to lift the disabled person from the chair to the table. The pulley/hoist system requires additional structure in the walls and is a potential risk for the company if people don't use it correctly or for the wrong reasons.  They make motorized or manually adjusted tables that help accommodate the caregivers. We are installing another adult changing table in our new International Arrivals Facility with the intention of having one in each concourse as we remodel older restrooms.

    ------------------------------
    Heather Karch AIA
    Architecture Manager
    Port of Seattle
    Seattle WA
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Public Accommodation to Provide Changing Tables for Adults with Disabilities

    Posted 08-26-2019 12:15 PM
      |   view attached

    Arizona has passed legislation:

     

     

    State of Arizona

    House of Representatives

    Fifty-fourth Legislature

    First Regular Session

    2019

     

    HOUSE BILL 2113

     

    AN ACT

     

    AMENDING TITLE 41, CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 3, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 41-1444; RELATING TO PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.

     

     

    (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

     

    Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

    Section 1.  Title 41, chapter 9, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1444, to read:

    41-1444.  Changing stations; public buildings; definitions

    A.  A PUBLIC ENTITY THAT CONSTRUCTS A NEW RESTROOM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC IN A PUBLIC BUILDING OR THAT TOTALLY RENOVATES AN EXISTING RESTROOM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO BOTH MEN AND WOMEN AND TO THE PUBLIC IN A PUBLIC BUILDING SHALL:

    1.  INCLUDE IN AT LEAST ONE RESTROOM IN EACH BUILDING AT LEAST ONE CHANGING STATION THAT IS CAPABLE OF SERVING BOTH A BABY AND AN ADULT AND THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO BOTH MEN AND WOMEN.

    2.  PROVIDE SIGNAGE AT OR NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHANGING STATION INDICATING THE LOCATION OF THE CHANGING STATION.

    3.  INDICATE THE LOCATION OF THE CHANGING STATION IN THE CENTRAL BUILDING DIRECTORY, IF SUCH A DIRECTORY EXISTS.

    B.  THE RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY MAY GRANT AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION IF THE RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY DETERMINES THAT:

    1.  ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD APPLY TO THE INSTALLATION OF A CHANGING STATION THAT IS CAPABLE OF SERVING BOTH A BABY AND AN ADULT:

    (a)  THE INSTALLATION WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE.

    (b)  THE INSTALLATION WOULD RESULT IN A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STANDARDS FOR ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

    (c)  THE INSTALLATION WOULD THREATEN OR DESTROY THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF A HISTORIC PROPERTY.

    2.  THE PUBLIC BUILDING IS NOT FREQUENTED BY THE PUBLIC.

    C.  THE INSTALLATION OF A CHANGING STATION UNDER THIS SECTION MUST PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CLEAR FLOOR SPACE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 2010 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBLE DESIGN.

    D.  THIS SECTION DOES NOT ESTABLISH A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.

    E.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:

    1.  "PUBLIC BUILDING" MEANS A BUILDING OR APPURTENANCE TO A BUILDING THAT IS BUILT IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITH PUBLIC MONIES.

    2.  "PUBLIC ENTITY" MEANS ANY:

    (a)  STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

    (b)  DEPARTMENT, AGENCY, SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT OR OTHER INSTRUMENTALITY OF A STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE LEGISLATURE.

    3.  "RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY" MEANS AN ORGANIZATION, OFFICE OR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THE REQUIREMENTS OF A CODE OR STANDARD OR FOR APPROVING EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AN INSTALLATION OR A PROCEDURE.

    4.  "TOTALLY RENOVATES" MEANS TO PERFORM CONSTRUCTION THAT IS AT LEAST $50,000 AND THAT TOTALLY REMOVES ALL NONSTRUCTURAL INTERIOR WALLS, FLOOR AND CEILING FINISHES, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND PLUMBING FIXTURES AND SUPPLY AND WASTE LINES.

    5.  "2010 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBLE DESIGN" MEANS THE 2010 STANDARDS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT FACILITIES PRESCRIBED IN 28 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS SECTION 35.151 AND 36 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 1191, APPENDICES B AND D.

    Sec. 2.  Applicability

    Section 41-1444, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, applies to construction and renovation projects in which the design has been approved on and after January 1, 2020.

     

     

     

     




    Attachment(s)



  • 5.  RE: Public Accommodation to Provide Changing Tables for Adults with Disabilities

    Posted 08-29-2019 04:17 PM
    Hi Amal-

    California passed similar legislation for adult changing facilities (AB-662) in 2015: 
    http://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB662
     
    The California Department of General Services, Division of the State Architect (DSA) is the government agency with the authority to develop building standards related to accessibility.  In 2017, DSA proposed building standards for adult changing facilities which were vetted through a public process and approved by the California Building Standards Commission (BSC) in January 2018.  These building standards are published in the 2019 California Building Code (CBC) and will become effective January 1, 2020. 

    You can access the building standards via this link: 
    https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/chapter/15448/

    The scoping provisions are in section 11B-249 and the technical provisions are in section 11B-813. 
    Chapter 2 of the CBC, defines a "commercial place of public amusement" as:

    Commercial place of public amusement. An auditorium, convention center, cultural complex, exhibition hall, permanent amusement park, sports arena, theater or movie house for which the maximum occupancy is 2,500 or more for the facility. Cultural complexes include but are not limited to art galleries, symphony, concert halls, and museums. A commercial place of public amusement does not include any public or private higher education facility or district agricultural associations.

    Please let me know if you want to discuss further.

    Ida A. Clair AIA
    Acting State Architect
    Division of the State Architect

    ------------------------------
    Ida Clair AIA
    Principal Architect - Codes and Standards
    State of California
    Elk Grove CA
    ------------------------------