2022 California Standards for Accessible Design Guide (effective January 1, 2023)

11B-221.2.1 Number and location.

Wheelchair spaces shall be provided complying with Section 11B-221.2.1.

11B-221.2.1.1 General seating.

Wheelchair spaces complying with Section 11B-802.1 shall be provided in accordance with Table 11B-221.2.1.1.

TABLE 11B-221.2.1.1 NUMBER OF WHEELCHAIR SPACES IN ASSEMBLY AREAS

11B-221.2.1.2 Luxury boxes, club boxes, and suites in arenas, stadiums, and grandstands.

In each luxury box, club box, and suite within arenas, stadiums, and grandstands, wheelchair spaces complying with Section 11B-802.1 shall be provided in accordance with Table 11B-221.2.1.1.

Advisory 11B-221.2.1.2 Luxury boxes, club boxes, and suites in arenas, stadiums, and grandstands. The number of wheelchair spaces required in luxury boxes, club boxes, and suites within an arena, stadium, or grandstand is to be calculated box by box and suite by suite. ◼

11B-221.2.1.3 Other boxes.

In boxes other than those required to comply with Section 11B-221.2.1.2, the total number of wheelchair spaces required shall be determined in accordance with Table 11B-221.2.1.1. Wheelchair spaces shall be located in not less than 20 percent of all boxes provided. Wheelchair spaces shall comply with Section 11B-802.1.

Advisory 11B-221.2.1.3 Other boxes. The provision for seating in "other boxes" includes box seating provided in facilities such as performing arts auditoria where tiered boxes are designed for spatial and acoustical purposes. The number of wheelchair spaces required in boxes covered by Section 11B-221.2.1.3 is calculated based on the total number of seats provided in these other boxes. The resulting number of wheelchair spaces must be located in no fewer than 20% of the boxes covered by this section. For example, a concert hall has 20 boxes, each of which contains 10 seats, totaling 200 seats. In this example, 5 wheelchair spaces would be required, and they must be placed in at least 4 of the boxes. Additionally, because the wheelchair spaces must also meet the dispersion requirements of Section 11B-221.2.3, the boxes containing these wheelchair spaces cannot all be located in one area unless an exception to the dispersion requirements applies. ◼

11B-221.2.1.4 Team or player seating.

At least one wheelchair space complying with 11B-802.1 shall be provided in team or player seating areas serving areas of sport activity.

Exception: Wheelchair spaces shall not be required in team or player seating areas serving bowling lanes not required to comply with Section 11B-206.2.11.

11B-221.2.1.5 Stadium-style movie theaters.

In stadium-style movie theaters, the total number of wheelchair spaces required shall be determined in accordance with Table 11B-221.2.1.1. The required wheelchair spaces shall be located on risers or cross-aisles in the stadium section that satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

1. Located within the rear 60 percent of the seats provided in the theater; or
2. Located within the area of the theater in which the vertical viewing angles (as measured to the top of the screen) are from the 40^th to the 100^th percentile of vertical viewing angles for all seats as ranked from the seats in the first row (1^st percentile) to seats in the back row (100^th percentile).

11B-221.2.1.6 Specialty seating areas.

In assembly areas, wheelchair spaces shall be provided in each specialty seating area that provides spectators with distinct services or amenities that generally are not available to other spectators. The number of wheelchair spaces provided in specialty seating areas shall be included in, rather than be in addition to, the total number of wheelchair spaces required by Table 11B-221.2.1.1.

Exception: In existing buildings and facilities, if it is not readily achievable for wheelchair spaces to be placed in each specialty seating area, those services or amenities shall be provided to individuals with disabilities, and their companions, at other designated accessible locations at no additional cost.

[ADA Title III] §36.308 Seating in assembly areas.  A public accommodation shall ensure that wheelchair spaces and companion seats are provided in each specialty seating area that provides spectators with distinct services or amenities that generally are not available to other spectators. If it is not readily achievable for a public accommodation to place wheelchair spaces and companion seats in each such specialty seating area, it shall provide those services or amenities to individuals with disabilities and their companions at other designated accessible locations at no additional cost. The number of wheelchair spaces and companion seats provided in specialty seating areas shall be included in, rather than in addition to, wheelchair space requirements set forth in table 221.2.1.1 in the 2010 Standards.