Aluminum bleachers are a popular option for sports and a variety of other facilities across the country. For generations, they have housed fans and family alike, but with new regulations, facilities now have to ensure these seating structures are barrier-free or accessible in nature.
Due to compliancy regulations, seating areas in arenas, stadiums and event centres with a bleacher setup, must provide accommodations for wheelchairs and companion seating. This means the addition of not only seating spaces but also other items such as ramps, guardrails and handrails to ensure safe and easy access for all.
When it comes to barrier-free seating, it’s all about access. In an effort to better allow seating solutions for people from all walks of life, recent code and compliance updates outline these requirements as it pertains to bleacher seating based on location.
This guide is designed to serve as a jumping off point for your barrier-free seating journey.
Much like building and safety codes, many of these regulations can vary across different locations. For customers located in the United States, accessible bleacher regulations are found within the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
North of the border in Canada, these regulations are handled on a provincial basis with each one dictating their own compliancy regulations.
As it pertains to bleacher seating, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) outlines the requirements for seating within a designated area where individuals with disabilities are accommodated based on their needs. Aside from traditional seating on bleacher structures, these accommodations are in place so that those with disabilities can enjoy equal access to the spectator experience afforded by such seating structures.
ADA Compliant bleachers must meet or exceed the following government regulations:
As stated above, Canadian accessibility guidelines are chiefly mandated within the individual provinces, although many of them share similarities to one another and the US regulations.
Here is a list of resources available from each province. Our team is well-versed in all things bleachers and can help you design a code-compliant and accessible bleacher based on your location.
Just as the name suggests, these ramps are shaped like and ‘L’ and are often used to service smaller-sized bleachers where multiple landings and resting areas are not required.
Larger ramps that switch different directions, or switchback ramps, are used on larger or taller bleachers to help those in wheelchairs safely reach the viewing platform.
These straightaway ramps are perfect for bleachers with a direct line to the viewing platform. The pitch rises at a relative pace, allowing for an easy and fast climb.
While the majority of our barrier-free bleachers consist of new builds, we also have extensive experience retrofitting existing bleacher seating as well. Where conditions allow and all code and safety requirements are fulfilled, we can add areas such as ramps, viewing platforms and additional access points to bleachers you may already have on site.
Given that the current bleacher was not terribly accessible for those in wheelchairs, the mandate of this project was to ensure that the next phase of seating would be completely ADA compliant, allowing all of their fan base access to the bleachers.
The structure was further optimized with notched out seating areas and unbeatable access to the seating for wheelchairs via custom ramps and aisle ways that were all compliant under the ADA’s comprehensive guidelines.
As is the case with many older seating structures across the country, this bleacher was still in great condition, but lacked ramps and barrier-free seating areas and was without any allowances for accessible seating.
With more inclusive seating structures becoming the norm, many are turning to us to help them add on to existing structures in an effort to make them ADA compliant. Ensuring that all spectators can enjoy the action on the field is an initiative we can all get behind and one we take seriously.
If you can dream it, we can build it.
