9.1 Assembly Areas: Wheelchair Spaces, Companion Seats, Dispersion, and Lines of Sight
Key Takeaways
Table 1109.2.2.1 requires 1 wheelchair space for 4 to 25 seats, 2 for 26 to 50, 4 for 51 to 100, 5 for 101 to 300, 6 for 301 to 500, then 6 plus 1 per 150 up to 5,000 and 36 plus 1 per 200 above 5,000.
Each required wheelchair space has a companion seat beside it, with shoulder alignment in row seating, and at least 5 percent of aisle seats are designated aisle seats with folding armrests.
A single wheelchair space is 36 inches wide (33 inches each when two are adjacent) and 52 inches deep for front or rear entry in new buildings (48 inches existing), or 60 inches deep for side entry.
Wheelchair spaces adjoin but do not overlap the accessible route or the required aisle width, except that new-building spaces may extend 4 inches into the aisle.
Wheelchair space locations are dispersed horizontally, at varied distances and by seating type, with the minimum number of locations set by A117.1 Table 802.10.
9.1 Assembly Areas: Wheelchair Spaces, Companion Seats, Dispersion, and Lines of Sight
The ICC 21 outline lists Special Rooms and Spaces as a single 8% subtopic, about six questions. Assembly seating dominates it because scoping (IBC 1109.2) and technical criteria (A117.1 802) both contain tables.
IBC Scoping (1109.2)
Wheelchair Spaces (Table 1109.2.2.1)
| Seating capacity | Minimum wheelchair spaces |
|---|---|
| 4 to 25 | 1 |
| 26 to 50 | 2 |
| 51 to 100 | 4 |
| 101 to 300 | 5 |
| 301 to 500 | 6 |
| 501 to 5,000 | 6, plus 1 for each 150, or fraction thereof, between 501 and 5,000 |
| 5,001 and over | 36, plus 1 for each 200, or fraction thereof, over 5,000 |
Worked example for 1,800 seats: 6 + (1,800 - 500)/150 = 6 + 8.67, rounded up to 9, for 15 wheelchair spaces.
| Section | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1109.2.1 Services | A service on an inaccessible level is also provided on an accessible level |
| 1109.2.2.2 Luxury boxes, club boxes and suites | Each box or suite in arenas, stadiums and grandstands uses Table 1109.2.2.1 individually |
| 1109.2.2.3 Other boxes | Total wheelchair spaces from the table, located in at least 20 percent of the boxes |
| 1109.2.3 Companion seats | At least one companion seat for each required wheelchair space |
| 1109.2.4 Multilevel dispersion | Wheelchair spaces on the main floor and on one of each two additional floor or mezzanine levels; exceptions where a second level has 25 percent or less of the seats in worship spaces, or 25 percent or less and 300 or fewer seats elsewhere; team and player seating need not be dispersed |
| 1109.2.5 Designated aisle seats | At least 5 percent, but not less than one, of aisle seats, located closest to accessible routes |
| 1109.2.6 Lawn seating | Lawn and exterior overflow seating areas connect to an accessible route |
| 1109.2.8 Performance areas | An accessible route directly connects the performance area to the seating area where a circulation path does; routes connect performance areas to ancillary performer areas |
| 1109.2.9 Dining and drinking areas | All interior and exterior floor areas accessible and on an accessible route; exceptions for 1104.4 levels, mezzanines with less than 25 percent of the dining area and the same services, and tiered sports dining with routes to at least 25 percent |
Wheelchair spaces are required only with fixed seating; movable chairs can be removed to create space.
Technical Criteria (A117.1 Section 802)
| Item | Section | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Floor | 802.2 | Slope not steeper than 1:48 |
| Width | 802.3 | 36 in. for a single space; 33 in. each where two spaces are adjacent |
| Depth, new | 802.4.1 | 52 in. where entered from the front or rear; 60 in. where entered only from the side |
| Depth, existing | 802.4.2 | 48 in. front or rear entry; 60 in. side entry |
| Approach | 802.5 | Adjoins an accessible route; the route may not overlap the space |
| Aisle overlap | 802.5.1 | May not overlap the required aisle width, except new-building space depth may overlap 4 in. |
| Integration | 802.6 | An integral part of the seating area, not segregated |
| Companion seat | 802.7 | Beside each wheelchair space; equivalent in size, quality, comfort and amenities; may be movable |
| Shoulder alignment | 802.7.2 | In row seating, companion seat aligned with the wheelchair user's shoulder, assumed 36 in. or more from the front and 12 in. or more from the rear of the space; companion seat floor at the same elevation |
| Designated aisle seats | 802.8 | Folding or retractable armrests on the aisle side where seats nearby have armrests; identified by a sign or marker |
Lines of Sight (802.9)
- Seated spectators: lines of sight comparable to seated spectators nearby, either over the heads of the first row in front or between heads and over shoulders.
- Standing spectators: where spectators in front are expected to stand, the front of the wheelchair space is 12 in. maximum from the back of the seat in front, and the floor of the wheelchair space is raised per Table 802.9.2.2 (for example, with 8-inch risers and rows 33 to 44 inches deep, the wheelchair space is 30 inches above the tread in front).
Dispersion (802.10)
| Total seating | Minimum wheelchair space locations (Table 802.10) |
|---|---|
| Up to 150 | 1 |
| 151 to 500 | 2 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 3 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 3, plus 1 for each 1,000 seats or portion above 1,000 |
| 5,001 and over | 7, plus 1 for each 2,000 seats or portion above 5,000 |
Locations are dispersed horizontally (not required with 300 or fewer seats if they are in the 2nd and 3rd quartiles of the row length), at a variety of distances from the event (exceptions for bleachers at points of entry, movie theaters with 300 or fewer seats, and other spaces with 300 or fewer seats whose locations are in the front 50 percent of rows), and by type where distinct seating areas have different amenities. In motion picture theaters, locations are on a riser or cross-aisle in tiered seating and within the rear 60 percent of seats or within the 40th to 100th percentile of vertical viewing angles. Where charging stations are provided at wheelchair space locations, they comply with Section 906.
Note the difference: Table 1109.2.2.1 counts wheelchair spaces; Table 802.10 counts locations, each of which may contain several spaces and companion seats.
Sign Language Interpreter Stations (802.11, new in 2017)
Where provided: a level clear floor area 24 in. deep x 36 in. wide; located so seating within a 60-degree arc each side and within 65 ft has sight lines to the station from 36 to 72 in. above the station floor; 10 footcandles of lighting at 48 in. above the station floor; a flat, smooth, monochromatic, low-luster backdrop where a permanent wall is less than 10 ft behind.
Worked Example
A 420-seat theater with fixed seats on a single level:
- Wheelchair spaces: 301 to 500 seats = 6, each with a companion seat.
- Designated aisle seats: 5% of the aisle seats (if 60 aisle seats, 3).
- Wheelchair space locations (Table 802.10): 151 to 500 seats = 2 locations, dispersed horizontally and at different distances (the 300-seat exceptions do not apply at 420 seats).
- Each space 36 in. wide (33 in. if paired) and 52 in. deep if entered from the front or rear.
A new arena has 2,600 fixed seats. How many wheelchair spaces does IBC Table 1109.2.2.1 require?
20
21
26
18
In a new theater, a wheelchair space is entered from the rear. What minimum depth does ICC A117.1-2017 Section 802.4.1 require?
48 inches
60 inches
52 inches
56 inches
A two-level auditorium has 900 seats, with 200 seats on the balcony. Under IBC 1109.2.4, where may the wheelchair spaces be located?
All on the main level, because the balcony has 25 percent or less of the seats and 300 or fewer seats
Half on each level
At least one on the balcony, because every level with seating needs a wheelchair space
Only on the balcony, to provide the best sight lines
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