Accessible parking spaces are spaces designed and reserved for vehicles used by people with disabilities. They are wider than standard stalls or paired with an access aisle, connected to an accessible route, and marked with the International Symbol of Accessibility.
Enter the total spaces in one parking facility. Count each lot or garage separately.
Counts follow the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Table 208.2, 208.2.1, 208.2.2 and 208.2.4). Two spaces may share one access aisle; a van space may also be 96 inches wide with a 96-inch aisle. State and local codes can require more, so confirm with your authority having jurisdiction. Planning aid, not legal advice. More: accessible parking, access aisle, ADA.
In the United States, the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design set the minimum number of accessible spaces, the share that must be van accessible and the basic dimensions. State and local codes can require more, so check the adopted code and the authority having jurisdiction. See Americans with Disabilities Act.
How many
- The count scales with the total spaces in each parking facility: 1 for up to 25 spaces, 8 for 301 to 400, 2 percent of the total from 501 to 1,000, and 20 plus 1 per 100 above 1,000.
- At least 1 of every 6 accessible spaces, or fraction thereof, must be van accessible.
- Hospital outpatient facilities and rehabilitation and outpatient physical therapy uses require higher percentages.
Layout basics (2010 ADA Standards)
- Car space. At least 96 inches wide, with an adjacent access aisle at least 60 inches wide.
- Van space. At least 132 inches wide with a 60-inch aisle, or 96 inches wide with a 96-inch aisle.
- Shared aisles. Two spaces may share one access aisle.
- Slope. Spaces and aisles no steeper than 1:48 in any direction.
- Clearance. Van spaces, their aisles and the route to them need at least 98 inches of vertical clearance, which matters in garages.
- Location. On the shortest accessible route to an accessible entrance, and dispersed when a site has several entrances.
- Signs. Identification signs with the International Symbol of Accessibility, with van spaces also marked "van accessible," mounted with the bottom of the sign at least 60 inches above the ground.
The Parkonomics view
Accessible parking works when it is treated as part of the route, not as a set of painted stalls. The spaces, the aisle, the curb ramp and the door all have to line up; one missing link breaks the whole trip.
Related terms: Access Aisle, Americans with Disabilities Act, Accessible EV Charging Space, Anthropometric Data, Wayfinding, Authority Having Jurisdiction