CHAPTER 302
STATE BUILDING CODE—ACCESSIBILITY OF BUILDINGS AND
FACILITIES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
[Prior to 12/21/05, see rules 661—16.700(103A,104A) to 661—16.720(103A,104A)]
661—302.1(103A,104A) Purpose and scope. Rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A) are intended to ensure that buildings and facilities used by the public are accessible to, and functional for, persons with disabilities. Rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) apply statewide to new construction, renovation, and rehabilitation projects on existing buildings and facilities when local or state building codes require compliance with standards for new construction.
Some requirements contained in rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) are not readily enforceable through the plan review process and may not be enforced through this means. Any of the requirements may be enforced during inspections in jurisdictions which inspect construction projects for compliance with building code requirements. Owners and operators of buildings and facilities subject to the provisions of rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) are responsible for compliance with any applicable requirements contained within these rules regardless of whether those requirements are enforced through plan reviews or inspections.
Rules 661—302.2(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) are based upon the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and in many instances adopt the language of ADAAG by reference. However, state and local building officials charged with enforcement of rules 661—302.2(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) are unable to warrant the acceptance of any interpretation of ADAAG language by federal agencies or any other state. A state or local official’s decision to approve a building plan under rules 661—302.2(103A,104A) through 661—302.11(103A,104A) does not prevent the federal government or another state from making a different decision under ADAAG or other applicable law, notwithstanding any similarities among such laws.
Note A:  See rule 661—302.20(103A,104A) for specific requirements within the individual dwelling units and public and common use spaces of multiple dwelling unit buildings.
Note B:  Other federal and state laws address requirements for accessibility for persons with disabilities and may be applicable to buildings and facilities subject to rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A, 104A). Nothing in these rules should be interpreted as limiting the applicability of other provisions of state or federal law. These provisions include, but are not limited to, the following:
	1.	Iowa Code chapter 216, the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.
	2.	Iowa Code chapter 216C, which enumerates the rights of persons who are blind or partially blind and persons with physical disabilities.
	3.	Iowa Code chapter 321L and 661—Chapter 18, which relate to requirements for parking for persons with disabilities.
	4.	The federal Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-480).
	5.	The federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112).
	6.	The federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-284), the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-430), and related regulations, including 24 CFR 100, Subpart D.
661—302.2(103A,104A) Definitions. The following definitions are adopted for purposes of rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
Note:  Many of these definitions have been taken from or adapted from ADAAG.
“Access aisle” means an accessible pedestrian space between elements, such as parking spaces, seating, and desks, which provides clearances appropriate for use of the elements.
“Accessible” describes a site, building, facility, or portion thereof that complies with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
“Accessible element” means an element specified by and which complies with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
“Accessible route” means a continuous unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces of a building or facility. Interior accessible routes may include corridors, floors, ramps, elevators, lifts, and clear floor space at fixtures. Exterior accessible routes may include parking access aisles, curb ramps, crosswalks at vehicular ways, walks, ramps, and lifts.
“Accessible space” means space that complies with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
“ADA” means the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Public Law 101-336.
“ADAAG” means Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, 28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A, as revised through July 1, 1994. Persons wishing to obtain copies of ADAAG may access the following Web site: www.adaproject.org/Publications.html for a downloadable copy.
“Adaptability” means the ability of certain building spaces and elements, such as kitchen counters, sinks, and grab bars, to be added or altered so as to accommodate the needs of individuals with or without disabilities or to accommodate the needs of persons with different types or degrees of disability.
“Addition” means an expansion, extension, or increase in the gross floor area of a building or facility.
“Administrative authority” means the governmental agency that adopts or enforces regulations and guidelines for the design, construction, or alteration of buildings and facilities.
“Alteration” means a change to a building or facility that affects or could affect the usability of the building or facility or part thereof. Alterations include, but are not limited to, remodeling, renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, historic restoration, resurfacing of circulation paths or vehicular ways, changes in or rearrangement of the structural parts of elements, and changes in or rearrangement of the plan configuration of walls and full-height partitions. Normal maintenance, reroofing, painting or wallpapering, or changes to mechanical and electrical systems, are not alterations unless they affect the usability of the building or facility.
“Area of rescue assistance” means an area, which has direct access to an exit, where people who are unable to use stairs may remain temporarily in safety to await further instructions or assistance during emergency evacuation.
“Assembly area” means a room or space accommodating a group of individuals for recreational, educational, political, social, civic, or amusement purposes, or for the consumption of food and drink.
“Automatic door” means a door equipped with a power-operated mechanism and controls that open and close the door automatically upon receipt of a momentary actuating signal. The switch that begins the automatic cycle may be a photoelectric device, floor mat, or manual switch. See “power-assisted door.”
“Building” means any structure used and intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
“Circulation path” means an exterior or interior way of passage from one place to another for pedestrians including, but not limited to, walks, hallways, courtyards, stairways, and stair landings.
“Clear” means unobstructed.
“Clear floor space” means the minimum unobstructed floor or ground space required to accommodate a single, stationary wheelchair and occupant.
“Closed circuit telephone” means a telephone with dedicated line(s) such as a house telephone, courtesy telephone or telephone that must be used to gain entrance to a facility.
“Common use” refers to those interior and exterior rooms, spaces, or elements that are made available for the use of a restricted group of people (for example, occupants of a homeless shelter, the occupants of an office building, or the guests of such occupants).
“Cross slope” means the slope that is perpendicular to the direction of travel. See “running slope.”
“Curb ramp” means a short ramp cutting through a curb or built up to it.
“Detectable warning” means a standardized surface feature built in or applied to walking surfaces or other elements to warn visually impaired people of hazards on a circulation path.
“Educational occupancy” means any building primarily used to deliver instruction in a classroom setting to students enrolled in primary or secondary schools or postsecondary institutions.
“Egress, means of” refers to a continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in a building or facility to a public way. A means of egress comprises vertical and horizontal travel and may include intervening room spaces, doorways, hallways, corridors, passageways, balconies, ramps, stairs, enclosures, lobbies, horizontal exits, courts and yards. An accessible means of egress is one that complies with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A) and does not include stairs, steps, or escalators. Areas of rescue assistance or evacuation elevators may be included as part of accessible means of egress.
“Element” means an architectural or mechanical component of a building, facility, space, or site. Examples of elements include, but are not limited to, telephones, curb ramps, doors, drinking fountains, seating, or water closets.
“Entrance” means any access point to a building or portion of a building or facility used for the purpose of entering. An entrance includes the approach walk, the vertical access leading to the entrance platform, the entrance platform itself, vestibules if provided, the entry door(s) or gate(s), and the hardware of the entry door(s) or gate(s).
“Equivalent facilitation” means the use of alternative designs and technologies which provide for substantially greater or equivalent access to and usability of a facility than is provided by technologies and designs which comply with the requirements of rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A). Departures from particular technical and scoping requirements of rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A) are permitted where the alternative designs and technologies used will provide equivalent facilitation.
“Facility” means all or any portion of buildings, structures, site improvements, complexes, equipment, roads, walks, passageways, parking lots, or other real or personal property located on a site.
“Government facility” means a structure accessible to the public which is owned or used by the state of Iowa or a political subdivision.
“Ground floor” means any occupiable floor less than one story above or below grade with direct access to grade. A building or facility always has at least one ground floor and may have more than one ground floor as where a split-level entrance has been provided or where a building is built into a hillside.
“Marked crossing” means a crosswalk or other identified path intended for use by pedestrians in crossing a vehicular way.
“Mezzanine” or “mezzanine floor” means that portion of a story which is an intermediate floor level placed within the story and having occupiable space above and below its floor.
“Multifamily dwelling” or “multiple dwelling unit building” means an apartment building containing four or more dwelling units. Rule 661—302.20(103A,104A) establishes accessibility requirements for multifamily dwellings of four or more units.
“Occupiable” describes a room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes, or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress, light, and ventilation.
“Operable part” means a part of a piece of equipment or appliance used to insert or withdraw objects, or to activate, deactivate, or adjust the equipment or appliance (for example, coin slot, push button, handle).
“Power-assisted door” means a door used for human passage with a mechanism that helps to open the door, or relieves the opening resistance of a door, upon the activation of a switch or a continued force applied to the door itself.
“Private facility” means a place of public accommodation or commercial facility which is not owned or used by the state of Iowa or a political subdivision and which is subject to Title III of the ADA and 28 CFR Part 36 or which is a transportation facility subject to Title III of the ADA and 49 CFR 37.45.
“Public facility” means a facility or portion of a facility constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a public entity subject to Title II of the ADA and 28 CFR Part 35 or to Title II of the ADA and to either 49 CFR 37.41 or 49 CFR 37.43.
“Public use” describes interior or exterior rooms or spaces that are made available to the general public. Public use may be provided at a building or facility that is privately or publicly owned.
“Ramp” means a walking surface which has a running slope greater than 1:20.
“Running slope” means the slope that is parallel to the direction of travel. See “cross slope.”
“Service entrance” means an entrance intended primarily for delivery of goods or services.
“Signage” means displayed verbal, symbolic, tactile, and pictorial information.
“Site” means a parcel of land bounded by a property line or a designated portion of a public right-of-way.
“Site improvement” means landscaping, paving for pedestrian and vehicular ways, outdoor lighting, recreational facilities, and the like, added to a site.
“Sleeping accommodations” means rooms whose primary use is for people to sleep including, but not limited to, dormitory and hotel or motel guest rooms or suites.
“Space” means an identifiable area. Examples of spaces include, but are not limited to, rooms, toilet rooms, halls, assembly areas, entrances, storage rooms, alcoves, courtyards, and lobbies.
“Story” means that portion of a building included between the upper surface of a floor and upper surface of the floor or roof next above. If such portion of a building does not include occupiable space, it is not considered a story for purposes of rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A). There may be more than one floor level within a story as in the case of a mezzanine or mezzanines.
“Structural frame” means columns and the girders, beams, trusses and spandrels having direct connections to the columns and all other members which are essential to the stability of the building as a whole.
“Tactile” describes an object that can be perceived using the sense of touch.
“TDD” means a telecommunication device for the deaf. See “text telephone (TTT).”
“Technically infeasible” means, with respect to an alteration of a building or a facility, that the alteration has little likelihood of being accomplished because existing structural conditions would require removing or altering a load-bearing member which is an essential part of the structural frame; or because other existing physical or site constraints prohibit modification or addition of elements, spaces, or features which are in full and strict compliance with the minimum requirements for new construction and which are necessary to provide accessibility.
“Text telephone (TTT)” means machinery or equipment that employs interactive text-based communications through the transmission of coded signals across the standard telephone network. Text telephones include devices known as TDDs (telecommunication display devices or telecommunication devices for deaf persons) or computers with special modems. Text telephones are also called TTYs, an abbreviation for teletypewriter.
“Transient lodging” means a building, facility, or portion thereof, excluding inpatient medical care facilities and residential facilities, that contains sleeping accommodations. Transient lodging may include, but is not limited to, resorts, group homes, hotels, motels, and dormitories.
“Vehicular way” means a route intended for vehicular traffic, such as a street, driveway, or parking lot.
“Walk” means an exterior pathway with a prepared surface intended for pedestrian use, including general pedestrian areas such as plazas and courts.
661—302.3(103A,104A) Plan review procedures. Prior to the commencement of construction of a facility which is required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A), the owner of the property, or a contractor, architect, or other design professional authorized to do so by law, acting on behalf of the owner of the property, shall submit an application for approval of the construction plans. The application shall be on a form required by the building code commissioner and shall be submitted to the local building authority, if there is one. If there is no local building authority, the application shall be submitted to the building code bureau. The application shall be accompanied by a copy of the construction plans and payment of the applicable fee.
661—302.4(103A,104A) Site development.
	302.4(1) Development. Proper attention to site development in the early stages of design is the most practical and economical way of making a site accessible and providing accessible entrances to buildings. The siting of facilities, grading, parking, and the routes of walks shall provide convenience, safety and unrestricted circulation of persons with disabilities and their vehicles.
	302.4(2) Grading. The site shall be graded, even contrary to existing topography, so that it attains a level with all primary entrances, making the building or facility accessible to persons with physical disabilities.
	302.4(3) Accessible routes. ADAAG section 4.3 is adopted by reference as the requirements for accessible routes in and around facilities required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
	302.4(4) Parking and passenger loading zones. Parking spaces, parking lots and passenger loading zones shall comply with 661—Chapter 18.
661—302.5(103A,104A) Building elements and spaces accessible to the physically handicapped. ADAAG chapter 4 is adopted by reference as the requirements for accessible building elements and spaces for buildings and facilities required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A), with the following amendments:
Delete section 4.3.
Note:  ADAAG section 4.3 is adopted by reference in subrule 302.4(3).
Delete section 4.34.
661—302.6(103A,104A) Restaurants and cafeterias. ADAAG chapter 5 is adopted by reference as the accessibility requirements for restaurants and cafeterias.
661—302.7(103A,104A) Medical care facilities. ADAAG chapter 6 is adopted by reference as the accessibility requirements for medical care facilities which are required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A) with the following amendments:
Delete section 6.1, subsection (1), and insert in lieu thereof the following new subsection (1):
(1) Hospitals—general purpose hospitals, psychiatric facilities, detoxification facilities—All patient bedrooms and toilets, and all public use and common use areas are required to be designed and constructed to be accessible.
Delete section 6.1, subsection (3), and insert in lieu thereof the following new subsection (3):
(3) Long-term care facilities, nursing homes—All patient bedrooms and toilets, and all public use and common use areas are required to be designed and constructed to be accessible.
661—302.8(103A,104A) Business and mercantile facilities. ADAAG chapter 7 is adopted by reference as the accessibility requirements for business and mercantile facilities which are required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
661—302.9(103A,104A) Libraries. ADAAG chapter 8 is adopted by reference as the accessibility requirements for libraries which are required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
661—302.10(103A,104A) Transient lodging facilities. ADAAG chapter 9 is adopted by reference as the requirements for accessible transient lodging in facilities which are required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
661—302.11(103A,104A) Transportation facilities. ADAAG chapter 10 is adopted by reference as the accessibility requirements for transportation facilities which are required to comply with rules 661—302.1(103A,104A) through 661—302.20(103A,104A).
Rules 302.1(103A,104A) through 302.11(103A,104A) are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 103A.7, 103A.9, and 104A.1.
661—302.12 to 302.19 Reserved.
661—302.20(103A,104A) Making apartments accessible and functional for persons with disabilities.
	302.20(1) Multiple dwelling unit buildings. This rule shall apply to all multiple dwelling unit buildings that consist of four or more dwelling units, if such buildings have one or more elevators. In such buildings without an elevator, all ground floor units must be accessible. The requirements of this rule shall apply to the individual dwelling units and the common use spaces which are accessible to persons with disabilities in multiple dwelling unit buildings.
Exception 1:  A multiple dwelling unit building shall be deemed to be in compliance with this rule if it is located in a local jurisdiction which has enacted accessibility rules which have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as providing a safe harbor for compliance with the accessibility requirements established in the federal Fair Housing Act and if the building has been found to be in compliance with those requirements, unless the building is required to comply with the requirements of the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, or other applicable standards which may be more restrictive than the provisions of this rule.
Exception 2:  Certain multiple dwelling unit buildings are required to comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, published by the U.S. Access Board, 1988. Compliance with the provisions of this rule does not substitute for compliance with any applicable provision of the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, or any other applicable standards which may be more restrictive than the provisions of this rule.
Note:  Compliance with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards is generally required for buildings and facilities constructed with federal financial assistance.
“Dwelling unit” means a single unit of residence for a household of one or more persons. Examples of a dwelling unit covered by these rules include a condominium, an apartment unit within an apartment building, and another type of dwelling in which sleeping accommodations are provided but toilet or cooking facilities are shared by occupants of more than one room or portion of the dwelling. Examples of the latter include dormitory rooms and sleeping accommodations in shelters intended for occupancy as a residence for homeless persons.
“Ground floor” means a floor of a building with a building entrance on an accessible route. A building may have one or more ground floors. Where the first floor containing dwelling units in a building is above grade, all units on that floor must be served by a building entrance on an accessible route. This floor will be considered to be a ground floor.
a. The individual dwelling units shall contain an accessible route into and through the unit.
(1) All doors intended for use as passage through the dwelling unit shall have a clear opening of at least 32″ nominal width with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the stop. Openings more than 24″ in depth are not considered doorways.
Note:  A 34″ door, hung in the standard manner, provides an acceptable 32″ opening.
(2) Except at doorways, the minimum clear width of the accessible route shall be at least 36″ wide.
(3) In single-story units, special features such as lofts or sunken or raised areas are not required to be on an accessible route provided the areas do not interrupt the accessible route through the remainder of the dwelling unit.
(4) In multistory dwelling units in buildings with elevators, the story of the unit that is served by the building elevator shall be the primary entry to the unit and such entry/accessible floor shall comply with the requirements of subparagraphs (1), (2) and (3) above. The entry/accessible floor shall contain a bathroom or powder room which complies with paragraph “c” below.
(5) Exterior deck, patio, or balcony surfaces shall be no more than ½″ below the floor level of the interior of the dwelling unit, unless they are constructed of impervious material such as concrete, brick or flagstone. In such case, the surface shall be no more than 4″ below the floor level of the interior or lower if required by local building code.
(6) Thresholds at exterior doors, including sliding tracks, shall be no higher than ¾″. Thresholds and changes in elevations as in subparagraph (5) above shall be beveled with a slope no greater than 1:2.
b. Kitchens shall meet or be adaptable to meet the following:
(1) A clear floor space at least 30″ × 48″ that allows a parallel approach by a person in a wheelchair must be provided at the range or cooktop and the sink. Either a parallel or forward approach must be provided at the oven, dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer or trash compactor.
(2) Clearance between counters and all opposing base cabinets, countertops, appliances or walls must be at least 40″. In U-shaped kitchens with a sink or cooktop at the base of the “U,” the base cabinets must be removable at that location or a 60″ turning radius must be provided.
c. All bathrooms of covered multifamily dwelling units shall comply with provisions of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph or at least one bathroom in the dwelling unit shall comply with provisions of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph and all other bathrooms and powder rooms within the dwelling unit must be on an accessible route with usable entry doors in accordance with paragraph “a” above.
However, in multistory dwelling units, only those bathrooms on the accessible level are subject to these requirements. Where the powder room is the only facility provided on the accessible level of a multistory dwelling unit, the powder room must comply with the provisions of subparagraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph.
(1) Sufficient maneuvering space shall be provided within the bathroom for a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid to enter and close the door, use the fixtures, reopen the door and exit. Doors may swing into the clear floor space provided at any fixture if the maneuvering space is provided. Maneuvering space may include any knee space or toe space available below the bathroom fixtures.
Clear floor space at fixtures may overlap.
If the shower stall is the only bathing facility provided in the covered dwelling unit, the shower stall shall measure at least 36″ × 36″.
Note:  Cabinets under lavatories are acceptable provided the bathroom has space to allow a parallel approach by a person in a wheelchair; if parallel approach is not possible within the space, any cabinets provided would have to be removable to afford the necessary knee clearance for forward approach.
(2) Where the door swings into the bathroom, there shall be a clear space (2′6″ × 4′0″) within the room to position a wheelchair or other mobility aid clear of the path of the door as it is closed and to permit the use of the fixtures. This clear space can include any knee space and toe space available below the bathroom fixtures.
Where the door swings out, a clear space shall be provided within the bathroom for a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid to position the wheelchair such that the person is allowed use of the fixtures. There also shall be a clear space to allow persons using wheelchairs to reopen the door to exit.
When both tub and shower fixtures are provided in the bathroom, at least one fixture shall be made accessible. When two or more lavatories are provided in a bathroom, at least one shall be made accessible.
Toilets shall be located within bathrooms in a manner that permits a grab bar to be installed on one side of the fixture. In locations where toilets are adjacent to walls or bathtubs, the centerline of the fixture shall be a minimum of 1′6″ from the obstacle. The other (nongrab bar) side of the toilet fixture shall be a minimum of 1′3″ from the finished surface of the adjoining walls, vanities, or the edge of a lavatory.
Vanities and lavatories shall be installed with the center line of the fixture a minimum of 1′3″ horizontally from an adjoining wall or fixture. The top of the fixture rim is a maximum height of 2′10″ above the finished floor. If knee space is provided below the vanity, the bottom of the apron is at least 2′3″ above the floor. If provided, full knee space (for front approach) is at least 1′5″ deep.
Bathtubs and tub/showers located in the bathroom shall provide a clear access aisle adjacent to the lavatory that is at least 2′6″ wide and extends for a length of 4′0″ (measured from the head of the bathtub).
Stall showers in the bathroom may be of any size or configuration. A minimum clear floor space 2′6″ wide × 4′0″ deep should be available outside the stall. If the shower stall is the only bathing facility provided in the covered dwelling unit, or on the accessible level of a covered multistory unit, and measures a nominal 36″ × 36″, the shower stall must have reinforcing to allow for installation of an optional wall-hung bench seat.
d. Walls in bathrooms which are to be adaptable shall be reinforced to allow later installation of grab bars around toilet, tub, shower stall and shower seat where provided.
Where the toilet is not placed adjacent to a side wall, provision shall be made for floor-mounted foldaway or similar alternative grab bars. Where the powder room is the only toilet facility located on an accessible level of a multistory dwelling unit, it must comply with this requirement for reinforced walls for grab bars. “Powder room” means a room with a toilet and sink.
Note:  A tub may have shelves or benches at either end; or a tub may be installed without surrounding walls, if there is provision for alternative mounting of grab bars. For example, a sunken tub placed away from walls could have reinforced areas for installation of floor-mounted grab bars. The same principle applies to shower stalls, e.g., glass-walled stalls could be planned to allow floor-mounted grab bars to be installed later.
Reinforcement for grab bars may be provided in a variety of ways (for example, by plywood or wood blocking) so long as the necessary reinforcement is placed so as to permit later installation of appropriate grab bars.
e. Public and common use areas shall be readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
f. Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls shall be located no higher than 48″, and no lower than 15″, above the floor. If the reach is over an obstruction (for example, an overhanging shelf) between 20″ and 25″ in depth, the maximum height is reduced to 44″ for forward approach; or 46″ for side approach, provided the obstruction (for example, a kitchen base cabinet) is no more than 24″ in depth. Obstructions should not extend more than 25″ from the wall beneath a control. (See ADAAG Figure 5.)
Note:  Controls or outlets that do not satisfy these specifications are acceptable provided that comparable controls or outlets (i.e., that perform the same functions) are provided within the same area and are accessible.
	302.20(2) Elevators. An elevator shall be required in any apartment building of four or more stories. An elevator required by this subrule shall meet the requirements established for accessible elevators in rule 661—302.5(103A,104A), which adopts by reference section 4.10 of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (28 CFR Part 36, Appendix A).
Note:  Elevators are not required in apartment buildings of three or fewer stories; however, the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, or any other applicable standard, may require the installation of an elevator. If an elevator is not required to be installed by this rule, then the elevator is not subject to the requirements of rule 661—302.5(103A,104A).
	302.20(3) Any covered units within a multiple unit dwelling which comply with a code or standard which has been certified as a safe harbor for compliance with the accessibility requirements of the federal Fair Housing Act by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shall be deemed to be in compliance with rule 661—302.20(103A,104A), unless the covered units are required to comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or any other applicable requirements which may be more restrictive than the provisions of this rule.
Rule 302.20(103A,104A) is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 103A.7(5) and 104A.2.
[Filed 12/2/05, Notice 9/14/05—published 12/21/05, effective 4/1/06]