SAFETY · CTE · 45-50 MIN
Roll the Route: ADA Clearance Study: Accessibility & Code lesson plan
Students measure routes, door openings and turning spaces against selected 2010 ADA Standards dimensions and list possible concerns.
At a glance
Time: 45-50 min
Grades: CTE
Subject: Safety: Accessibility & Code
Grouping: Teams of 3.
Space: A bathroom, a kitchen and a hall at full size.
Teacher prep: 15 min printing + 40 min taping
Included: Teacher guide, student sheet, checks for understanding, exit ticket with answers
Open the printable lesson: teacher guide and student sheet →
Essential question
Would this building actually work for someone using a wheelchair — and how would you prove it?
What students learn and show
Learn: Selected accessibility dimensions: 36-in route width, 32-in door clear opening, 60-in turning circle; how to measure them.
Show: Measure a zone, compare each item with the correct reference dimension, and propose a design adjustment.
Objectives
State selected 2010 ADA Standards dimensions: 36-in route width, 32-in door clear opening, 60-in turning circle
Measure doorways and hallways on a plan against the correct reference dimension
Test whether a 60-inch turning space fits clear of fixtures
Produce an observation list of possible clearance concerns and design adjustments
Before this lesson students should: Reading a tape to the inch; diameter vs radius.
Materials and prep
The 1:1 print or taped rooms
Tape measures
A 30-in radius string-and-chalk compass (draws a 60-in circle)
Clearance checklist (in the packet)
Prep (about 15 min to print, 40 min to tape)
Lay out the print or tape a bathroom, a kitchen and a connecting hall.
Make a 30-in radius string-and-chalk compass (draws a 60-in circle).
Copy the clearance checklist; brief: this is a classroom comparison, not an audit or certification.
Space: A bathroom, a kitchen and a hall at full size.
Grouping: Teams of 3.
Ways to run it: Painter's tape on the floor; 1:1 printed floor plan
Lesson procedure
Teacher model: Measure a door: 'Clear opening is measured with the door open 90 degrees, from the door face to the stop: 31 in. The reference is 32 in, so I record a possible concern, with the number.'
Guided practice: Teams scribe one 60-in circle together and decide if fixtures intrude.
Teams measure every hallway in their zone against 36 in clear width, and every door's clear opening against 32 in.
In each bathroom and kitchen, scribe a 60-in chalk circle where a wheelchair would need to turn. Does it fit clear of the printed fixtures?
Walk or roll the full route from entry to the farthest room at a calm pace, narrating each possible conflict.
Record each possible clearance concern with its measurement.
Debrief: each team reports its two biggest concerns and the simplest design adjustment for each.
Checks for understanding
Ask: What is the minimum clear width of an accessible route? Look for: 36 inches (it may narrow to 32 in for up to 24 in of length).
Ask: What is the minimum clear opening of a door on an accessible route? Look for: 32 inches.
Ask: What is the diameter of a circular wheelchair turning space? Look for: 60 inches (a T-shaped space is an alternative).
Exit ticket
A hallway is 34 in wide for 10 ft. Compare it to the reference. Answer: Below 36 in for more than 24 in of length; record a possible concern.
A 60-in circle hits the vanity by 4 in. Suggest one adjustment. Answer: Move or shorten the vanity, use a T-shaped turning space, or relocate the fixture.
Why is this not an accessibility certification? Answer: It compares a few selected dimensions; a real review covers many more requirements and the jurisdiction's adopted code.
Scoring: Items 1-2: 2 points each (measurement reasoning, reference). Item 3: 1 point.
Common misconception
Students may think: Every door must be 36 in wide.
Address it: Routes use 36 in clear width; doors use 32 in clear opening measured with the door open 90 degrees.
Supports and extensions
Learning support: Assign the measuring-and-logging role with a pre-printed criteria sheet and a partner reading the checklist.
Multilingual learners: Clearance / route / turning-radius cards with diagrams, reviewed on the floor before starting.
Mobility and access: Students who use wheelchairs may lead the turning test if they choose; others can measure from seated positions or direct a partner. Never require a student to demonstrate their own mobility.
Extension: Compare findings across teams to map the building's worst zone. Challenge: redesign one bathroom that doesn't fit the 60-inch circle on paper, and defend the change.
Transfer task: Measure one real school doorway and hallway (with permission) and compare.
Spaced review: Next unit: given a sketch with dimensions, flag the items below the references.
Standards connections
Connections show which skills the activity practices. They are not a claim of full coverage; see the library for scope notes.
Why this approach
The federal design standard used here only as a source of selected reference dimensions (routes 403.5.1, doors 404.2.3, turning space 304.3). Limit: A regulation, not learning research. Classroom measurements are not an accessibility audit or certification.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice (2010). 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Ready to teach it?
The printable version has the full teacher guide, a student recording sheet, prep steps and an exit ticket. Open the printable lesson →
Need the floor plan itself? Get a 1:1 print quote.
Related lessons
Route & Egress Study · Fire Safety & Public Management, Grades 9-12
Command Post · Emergency Management, Grades 9-12
The Circuit Walk · Electrical Layout & Working Clearance, Grades 9-12, CTE
Hang the Board · Drywall Takeoff & Seam Planning, Grades 9-12, CTE
← Previous lesson: The Plumbing Wall · Next lesson: Route & Egress Study →