In 2015, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed by Congress, and this law required all government agencies as well as many private businesses to provide adequate seating for disabled and handicapped persons, the same as it would for non-disabled individuals. Apart from government functions, this would include such venues as restaurants, sports stadiums and arenas, concert venues, and movie theaters. The purpose of the law was to ensure that all such disabled persons would have equal access to adequate seating, at the same time and via all the same channels of distribution as non-disabled people.
Accessible seating for handicapped and disabled persons must meet guidelines described in the ADA Act, so as to ensure that these individuals can be comfortably accommodated at any specific event. That means each of the following points must be considered and built into the seating design:
In addition, there are some general requirements which must be met by the facility, so as to accommodate ADA seating users:
In order to ensure that disabled persons can attend events with caretakers, companions, or significant others, there is a requirement in the ADA act which applies to such seating arrangements. For each wheelchair-bound individual attending an event, there must be at least three companion seats provided immediately adjacent to the wheelchair-accessible seat.
These seats must be priced at the same level as all other seats in that section, and pricing cannot be elevated on the basis of any special requirement due to their companion seat status. Companion seating may only be made available to non-disabled buyers when it has been determined that no wheelchair-bound individual will be purchasing those companion seats, so they may be offered to the public as normal seating.
In most cases, handicapped seating is equivalent to that provided for people with disabilities. One area which might be considered a bit different is that of semi-ambulatory seating, and while this does not call for all the requirements referenced above which fall under the ADA Act, it does require that more legroom be provided beyond the typical 24 inches available in normal stadium seating. A semi-ambulatory person may not be able to flex or fold his/her legs into the smaller space provided by stadium seating and might have to leave legs extended throughout the event, which would call for the additional legroom.
Series Seating has had more than 35 years of experience in designing ergonomically comfortable sporting event chairs as well as indoor concert and performing arts seating. ADA seating is just one of the many areas which our experts have had the opportunity to develop. The Series Seating designs for ADA seating ensure that minimal back strain is incurred by attendees, as well as increased blood circulation, both of which become important when patrons have been sitting for an extended period of time.
Reduced levels of muscle stiffness and joint fatigue are also features of Series Seating chairs which disabled persons are grateful for wherever our chairs have been installed. A perfect example of the kind of flexibility required in ADA seating is the Vera Stackable chair, which is not only very comfortable for the disabled person using it but is extremely convenient and portable for the venue which has them installed for patrons.
Installing seating which is fully compliant with ADA requirements, which is totally comfortable for disabled patrons, and which is highly advantageous for the venue itself, is that Series Seating can meet all these expectations with several of its seating models that have already been installed around the globe. Always abreast of any developments forthcoming in the area of ADA seating or handicapped seating, Series Seating engineers ensure that our designs will meet and exceed project and venue requirements. Additionally, the durability, flexibility, and comfort will always be the priority for our high-quality products.