ADAAG Manual

Alterations: Alternate Stalls

An alternate stall may be substituted for the standard stall only in alterations where full compliance with requirements for a wheelchair accessible stall is not "technically feasible" or where local codes prohibit removal of existing toilet fixtures to make a standard stall. Recommendation: Where codes include provisions for waivers, it is recommended that a request for a waiver be made to ensure that the code does, in fact, prohibit the removal of a required fixture.

Alternate designs in ADAAG Figure 30(b) allow narrower stall widths while requiring greater depth. Wheelchair maneuvering and transfer can be very difficult or impossible within these dimensions which is why these designs are permitted only in alterations where "technical infeasibility" can be demonstrated. The 36-inch stall is most suitable for people who are ambulatory (which is why the width is an absolute, not a minimum). While it is also intended to allow some level of wheelchair access as well, it is not usable by most people who use wheelchairs. Recommendation: Where possible, a stall at least 48 inches wide should be provided instead where technically feasible.