Children's provisions added in January, 1998
Module 3: Screen 2
Building Elements Designed for Children's Use General Requirements
When the ADAAG 1-10 was published in 1991, the guidelines in Section 2.1 stated that the specifications were based only on adult dimensions. When provisions for children were added in 1998, this section was revised to note that the guidelines also contain alternate specifications based on children's dimensions. Click on the Section 2.1 title to review this provision.
The new provisions for children are not contained in a separate special application section but are integrated into the text of ADAAG as discretionary exceptions. They appear in technical provisions only, and there is no scoping requiring their use. Much of the information is contained in the appendix, which provides useful guidance and detail.
Although application is left to the discretion of the designer and client, children's specifications generally apply if an element is "predominantly used" by children ages 12 and younger. For example, a public restroom outside a community-use cafeteria may meet the adult guidelines because of the variety of users, but a restroom adjacent to elementary school classrooms should meet children's guidelines for the intended age group.
As a general rule, when child-sized fixtures are specified, at least one of each type must be accessible.