Title III Technical Assistance Manual (with 1994 supplement)

III−7.5170 Telephones (ADAAG §4.1.3(17)). This section establishes requirements for accessibility of pay phones to persons with mobility impairments, hearing impairments (requiring some phones with volume controls), and those who cannot use voice telephones and need "text telephones" (referred to in the Department's rule as telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD's)):

1) One accessible public phone must be provided for each floor, unless the floor has two or more banks of phones, in which case there must be one accessible phone for each bank.

2) All accessible public phones must be equipped with volume controls. In addition, 25 percent, but never less than one, of all other public phones must have volume controls.

Moreover, if any of the public pay telephones provided in these locations are coin-operated, then a TDD or text telephone that can be used with a coin-operated telephone must be provided. If all of the public pay telephones provided in these locations are card-operated only, then it is permissible to provide a TDD or text telephone that can be used only with card-operated telephones.

3) One TDD or text telephone must be provided inside any building that has four or more public pay telephones, counting both interior and exterior phones. In addition, one TDD or text telephone (per facility) must be provided whenever there is an interior public pay phone in a stadium or arena; convention center; hotel with a convention center; covered shopping mall; or hospital emergency, recovery, or waiting room.