Printable Room Layouts
Each layout below is available as a printable PDF. You can include layouts as an addendum to your facility contract, provide them in a pre-meeting with facility and banquet staff, and use them with your internal planning team to ensure that your rooms are set up correctly. Measurements shown are adequate for ensuring accessibility, but more space is highly recommended for aisles, paths between chairs and tables, around the perimeter of the room, and around any refreshment or display tables.
Note: these layouts are for meetings where roughly 10% of attendees use mobility devices (wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, etc.) or have a service animal. If your meeting will have more than 10% of attendees using mobility devices or service animals, increase the number of accessible seating locations and aisle widths proportionally.
Accessible Theater Style
This set-up is appropriate for large sessions and short lectures that do not require desks or tables for extensive note-taking or frequent reference to handouts. Make sure all side and center aisles are at least three to six feet wide to allow adequate space for circulation. Aisle chairs can be removed in rows dispersed throughout the room to allow seating choices for people who use mobility devices or service animals. At a minimum, remove aisle chairs from the front, back and middle rows to create accessible seating locations. Increase the amount of accessible seating based on the known or anticipated number of people using mobility devices at your event. Remove two chairs for each wheelchair space. Make sure chairs are un-ganged (not hooked together) to allow attendees to move them as needed. Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
Accessible Theater Set-Up Remove two chairs for each mobility device space. O er multiple choices of where to sit. At a minimum set the front, back and middle rows accessible to ensure attendee choice of seats in the room. Increase the amount of accessible seating based on the known or anticipated number of mobility device users expected at your event. Chairs to be un-ganged to allow attendees to move them as needed. Note minimum widths for center and side aisles, and for the distance between accessible and standard rows.
Detail View – Accessible Theater Set-Up
Remove chairs to create spaces within rows for people using mobility devices (wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, braces, or other assistive mobility devices). It is not appropriate to force them to sit in aisles. Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
Detail View – Accessible Theater Set-Up It is important that chairs be removed to make spaces so that mobile device users are not forced to sit in and block aisles.
Accessible Classroom Style
This set-up is very helpful when participants need a surface to take notes and refer to materials. Use the accessible chevron style (next section below) whenever possible, but if space does not allow the chevron, classroom style is an option. Include more than one accessible seating location so attendees have choices Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
Accessible Classroom Set-Up Remove two chairs for each mobility device space. O er multiple choices of where to sit. Increase the amount of accessible seating based on the known or anticipated number of mobility device users expected at your event. Note minimum widths for center and side aisles, and for the distance between accessible and standard rows.
Accessible Classroom - Chevron Style
This style of classroom set-up affords the greatest flexibility and space for access. Chevron style allows better line of sight for speakers and attendees and easier entry for those using mobility devices. In either type of classroom plan, remove two chairs for each wheelchair or scooter space. Offer multiple access points and choices of where to sit. It is never appropriate to require that people using mobility devices sit only in the back or in one designated area. Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
Accessible Chevron Set-Up Preferred over accessible classroom set-up. Remove two chairs for each mobility device space. O er multiple choices of where to sit. Increase the amount of accessible seating based on the known or anticipated number of mobility device users expected at your event. Note minimum widths for center and side aisles, and for the distance between accessible and standard rows.
Accessible Round Table Style
Aisles between round tables require at least three feet of space between the tables (measured from the back of one chair to the back of the chair directly behind it). Side aisles require at least six feet between the table and the side wall or other obstructions. If people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids will be seated at round tables, decrease the number of table settings by one or two to provide adequate space; for a five-foot round table set 8 places maximum, and for a six-foot round table set 10 places maximum.
Note: when possible, use a half-round set-up so that all seats are facing the presentation area, instead of placing seats around the entire table. In that case, a five-foot table could accommodate four place settings, and a six-foot table could accommodate five. Remember that people who use scooters or wheelchairs may prefer to transfer to the chairs at the table and park their assistive devices behind their chairs. Ensure that staff is available to assist as needed. Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
Accessible Round Table Set-Up Remove two chairs for each mobility device space. O er multiple choices of where to sit. Increase the amount of accessible seating based on the known or anticipated number of mobility device users expected at your event. Note minimum widths for center and side aisles, and for the distance between accessible and standard rows. Also reduce the number of place settings at a round table by one per mobility device user. Five foot round table: Maximum 8 place settings. Six foot round table: Maximum 10 place settings.
Detail View – Accessible Round Set-Up
Measure from the back of one chair to the back of the chair directly behind it. Chairs must be set with the front edge of the chair at the edge of the table. In other words, the chairs should not be pushed under the tables. Click [here] ... for a full-page, printable handout.
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