ADA In a Day: Designing for Access

Designing for Access: Toilet Rooms, Parking Facilities, and Circulation Paths Under the CBC

Course Length: 5 hours
AIA CES Credit: 5 LU | HSW (Pending) – meets California’s Accessibiity MCE requirement

Presenters:

• Susan Moe, AIA, CASp, APA-BE – Principal, Access Compliance Consulting (August 2021 – Present)
• Bill Zellmer, AIA, CASp – Accessibility Architect, Sutter Health

Course Overview

This advanced 5-hour seminar is tailored for licensed architects and design professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of accessibility requirements in the California Building Code (CBC). Designed to meet California’s mandatory continuing education requirements for accessibility, the course provides comprehensive instruction, practical insight, and real-world design considerations for architectural professionals.

Part One: Toilet and Bathing Room Accessibility
The first half of the course focuses on the detailed accessibility requirements for toilet and bathing facilities, including:

• Water closets, grab bars, and toilet compartment layouts
• Lavatories, sinks, and baby-changing tables, including approach clearances and knee/toe space
• All-gender toilet room configuration and signage
• Tactile, visual, and directional signage requirements
• Coordination of accessible features across disciplines and construction phases

Participants will examine both technical criteria and design best practices to ensure successful implementation from schematic design through construction documentation.

Part Two: Parking Facilities and Circulation Paths
The second half covers exterior elements critical to accessible site design, with a focus on:

• Design and location of accessible parking stalls
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and California-specific scoping
• Curb ramps, slopes, transitions, and trip hazard mitigation
• Circulation path requirements per Section 11B-250
• Design coordination, inspection readiness, and long-term compliance

Throughout the session, best practices will be explored for integrating accessibility seamlessly into site and architectural design.

Interactive Learning and Scenario-Based Application
Real-world project examples and challenging compliance scenarios are incorporated throughout the course. Frequent pauses for discussion and attendee engagement allow participants to apply course content in the context of practical design problems and jurisdictional interpretations.

Learning Objectives:

• Design compliant toilet and bathing facilities by applying CBC accessibility requirements for fixtures, compartments, and clearances.
• Develop code-compliant parking facility layouts incorporating EVCS, curb ramps, and accessible circulation paths.
• Identify common design and construction pitfalls in accessibility compliance and propose practical design solutions.
• Coordinate architectural and engineering documents to support accessibility in both interior and site elements.
• Evaluate access challenges through real-world case studies and scenario-based problem solving.
• Compare and reconcile federal ADA standards with the more stringent California Building Code provisions.
• Prepare for jurisdictional reviews and inspections by aligning design intent with CBC technical and scoping requirements.
• Interpret recent and upcoming changes to CBC accessibility regulations and assess their impact on future projects.

An email containing the Zoom information will go out a day in advance.