Counter heights for people who fall under the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act vary depending on the type of building in which the counters are located. The purpose of the Act is to make sure that everyone can comfortably function under normal daily conditions.
Retail Counter Height
Retail stores need to have a counter area that is 36 inches long and 36 inches tall for handicapped access. Retailers can have the cash register on a counter that is higher than the handicapped counter, as long as it is close to the latter.
Public School Counter Height
Schools for kindergarten through 12th grade must have at least one counter at 34 inches in bathrooms, labs or in art classes that use long counters for their students.
Colleges and Universities
Higher education institutions have more leeway than public schools or retail or commercial buildings for counter height. The Americans with Disabilities Act stipulates that the counter needs to reasonably accommodate the handicapped, both with counter heights and the knee space below.
Privately Owned Home Counter Height
The ADA does not regulate the placement of counters in privately owned homes. The normal counter height in a private home is 36 inches. Many people in wheelchairs remodel the kitchen or bathroom, or a portion of those rooms, to make them more easily accessible.
Apartment Counter Height
Apartment communities, depending on the unit count, have to provide housing for the handicapped. The counters in the kitchens of the handicapped access units must be 34 inches high, and the area under the sink plumbed so that the pipes do not interfere with sitting under it to use the sink. The sink cannot have a cabinets underneath so there is room for a wheelchair to approach the sink.
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