What makes a porta potty wheelchair accessible?
A wheelchair-accessible porta potty has a ground-level floor with no step, a wide door, grab bars beside the seat, and enough inside space for a wheelchair to turn. The 2010 ADA Standards describe that space as a 60-inch diameter circle or a T-shaped space. A standard unit has none of these features.
Tech specs (typical unit)
- Footprint
- About 7 ft × 7 ft
- Entry
- Ground-level floor, no step
- Inside turning space
- Designed around a 60 in. diameter circle
- Grab bars
- Beside and behind the seat
- Waste tank
- About 60 gallons
How many accessible porta potties does an event need?
An event needs at least 5% of the porta potties in each cluster to be wheelchair accessible, and never fewer than 1 per cluster. That rule comes from section 213.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards. A cluster of 12 standard units needs 1 accessible unit; a cluster of 21 needs 2.
Worked example: 21 units × 5% = 1.05, which rounds up to 2 accessible units. Read the rule at the U.S. Access Board. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm with your venue or permit office.
Where should the accessible unit be placed?
Place the wheelchair-accessible porta potty on firm, level pavement or packed ground at the end of the row closest to the event. Grass after rain, gravel and slopes make the unit hard to reach. Keep a clear path at least 36 inches wide from the walkway to the door.
Wheelchair-accessible unit questions
Does one accessible unit make my event meet the ADA?
One unit is only part of it. We describe our units as wheelchair-accessible. Whether a whole setup meets the ADA depends on placement and paths too, so confirm with your venue.
Can parents with strollers use the accessible unit?
The extra room makes the accessible unit popular with parents changing small children.
Do jobsites need accessible units?
Workers with a disability may need one as an accommodation. Ask on the call.