Update to ADA Requirement for Auditorium Seating
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
A critical element in the design and layout of fixed seating for any public venue is the inclusion of ADA seating that complies with federal regulations. Irwin Seating Company’s seating layout engineers are well versed in these requirements and are diligent in ensuring our seating layouts include the proper quantities of ADA locations for each project.
Recently there have been amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act updating the quantities and locations of required accessible seats for venue patrons. These changes went into effect in 2010 and become mandatory on March 15, 2012, making our understanding of the changes critical to our sales and order management processes.
The most crucial change in the regulations applies to the number of ADA compliant spaces required in public assembly venues. The updated quantities required are as follows:
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Number of Seats
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Min. Number of Required Wheelchair Spaces
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4 – 25
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1
|
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26 – 50
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2
|
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51-150
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4
|
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151 – 300
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5
|
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301 – 500
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6
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501 – 5,000
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6 +1 for each 150 (or fraction thereof) between 501 – 5,000
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5,001 and over
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36 +1 for each 200 (or fraction thereof) over 5,000
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Previous regulations required that each wheelchair space must have an adjacent fixed companion seat. Under the new ADA rules, the companion seat no longer needs to be fixed, but can now also be a removable or stack chair.
There have also been changes to the requirements for accessible aisle seating. The quantity of aisle seats required to be armless or have removable armrests has changed from 1% of the total number of chairs to 5% of the aisle end chairs. The ADA aisle seats must now be located closest to accessible routes throughout the venue.
Longo auditorium seating consultants providing FREE seating evaluations to public schools, universities/colleges, performing arts centers and municipal seating venues. If you would like an auditorium seating evaluation, please call (800) 635-6646 or email info@longoinc.com.
Longo Seating Projects in New Jersey:
Lecture Hall Seating Projects throughout Rutgers University Campuses
New Performing Arts Seating at Alexander Kasser Theatre (Montclair State University) in Montclair, NJ
New Performing Arts Seating at Dolan Performance Hall (College of Saint Elizabeth) in Morristown, NJ
New Performing Arts Seating at Dorothy Young PAC (Drew University) in Madison, NJ
New Performing Arts Seating at Elizabeth B. Alton Auditorium (Stockton College) in Galloway, NJ
New Seating at Macrae Theatre at The Pingry School in Martinsville, NJ
Planetarium Seating at Madeline D. and Joseph J. Longo Planetarium (County College of Morris) in Randolph, NJ
Seating Restoration at Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ
Seating Restoration at Indian Hills High School Auditorium in Oakland, NJ
