Where portable restrooms are required for a Seattle event, at least one must be accessible, according to the Special Events Office's restroom guidance, and more accessible units are advisable for large crowds. The organizer must keep accessible restrooms and clear paths of travel. Parks may also require portable restrooms for an event in a park, depending on its size, scope and location.
Key takeaways
- Where portable restrooms are required, at least one must be accessible.
- More accessible units are advisable for large crowds.
- The organizer must keep accessible restrooms and clear paths of travel.
- On hillside grounds the route to each accessible unit is the usual failure.
- Parks may require portable restrooms for an event in a park.
- Crew-only construction units are a different case from units shared with the public.
What does the guidance require?
At least one accessible restroom where portable restrooms are required, with clear paths of travel and more accessible units advisable for large crowds.
The guidance says the organizer must keep accessible restrooms and clear paths of travel. Where portable restrooms are required, at least one must be accessible.
The requirement follows the event's own provision, so an organizer who plans a cluster of portable units should count an accessible unit inside it.
How many accessible units for a large crowd?
The guidance says more accessible units are advisable for large crowds, and the count is set from the expected use at each gathering point.
A large crowd needs more than one accessible unit, with one at each major gathering point and one at each main gate. The reasoning is written on the map.
No City figure for accessible units is published in the sources for this page, so the number is worked out for the event.
Why are the hills a special problem?
A steep or sloped route can be impassable for a wheelchair even when the unit is marked and level.
A unit at the top of a path that runs down a slope may be unreachable, and a path across a sloped lawn can be too steep to use. The route is judged by its surface and slope.
A ramp, a graded path or a unit set on a lower level can solve the problem, and the plan states which one is used.
What about Seattle Center and the flat plazas?
The flat plazas make accessible routes easier, and the plan still checks the surface, the drainage and the path width.
A plaza that is flat can still have a drain or a step, and the route is walked before the event.
The Center's paths are used for the route, and the lawns are kept off the accessible route where they are soft.
What about parks and construction sites?
Parks may require portable restrooms for an event, and a construction site open to the public has public-use questions the Special Events Office should be asked about.
A park event's accessible units follow the same route rule, with the lawn checked for softness.
A crew-only construction unit is a different case from a unit shared with visitors, so the office is asked how a site beside a public space is treated.
Who checks the accessible units?
The organizer, the provider and the stewards, with each accessible unit walked before the gates open.
Stewards are briefed on where the accessible units stand and how to direct a visitor to them, and a blocked route is reported at once.
The provider services the accessible units on the same schedule as the rest and logs each visit.
How many accessible units does a large crowd need?
The guidance says more are advisable for large crowds, and the count is set at each gathering point from the expected use there, not from a single figure for the whole event.
A crowd of several thousand needs more than one accessible unit, with one at each major gathering point and one at each main gate, so a visitor is never far from one.
The number and its reasons are written on the map, so the reviewer can see how the count was reached.
How is an accessible route tested before the event?
The route is walked from the nearest accessible path or the parking to each accessible unit, noting the surface, the slope, the width and the turning space at the door.
A walk with a person who uses a mobility aid shows problems a sighted check misses, such as a slope that looks flat or a gap in the surface.
The notes go into the plan, and any fix is made before the event opens.
What about a route that crosses a closed street?
The route is kept on the open side of the closure with a marked path, and the stewards control the crossing so the route is not left to chance.
A crossing of a closed street can be a hazard for a person with a mobility aid, and the crossing is shown on the map with the closure's arrangement.
Where the crossing cannot be made safe, the route is moved to a different path, and the map is revised.
How do you place an accessible unit at a crowded stage?
The accessible unit sits at the edge of the stage crowd, on a firm route from the nearest accessible path, so a visitor can reach it without crossing the crowd.
A stage crowd is dense and moves slowly, and an accessible unit in the middle of it cannot be reached. The unit is placed at the edge where the route is clear.
The route is marked on the map and signed on the ground, so a visitor can find it without asking.
What does the organizer keep on file for accessibility?
The count, the accessible units, their positions on the map, the route test notes, and the provider's written confirmation of the accessible units it will place.
A file with those items answers a reviewer's questions at once, and it protects the organizer if a question arises after the event.
The provider's written confirmation matches the plan, so the count on the map and the count ordered are the same.
How are accessible units serviced?
On the same schedule as the rest of the units, with a visit logged for each, and a check of the route after each visit.
An accessible unit that is not serviced on schedule is as unusable as a locked door, so its visits are the first ones the provider makes in a long day.
The log shows the visit time, the condition and the route check, and it is kept with the event file.
How do you plan an accessible route through a food area?
The route runs beside the food rows on a clear path, with room for a wheelchair to turn and a handwashing sink within reach of the same route.
A food row blocks a route if the vendors' tables stand across it, so the route is kept clear of the tables and marked on the ground.
A sink placed on the accessible route is useful to a visitor who uses a wheelchair, and it counts for the food rule where it stands beside a counted unit.
What does a steward need to know about the accessible route?
The steward knows the route's start, its surface, its end and what to do if a part is blocked or wet, and carries the map that shows it.
A steward who can describe the route to a visitor saves time and reduces the chance that the visitor gives up and leaves.
The steward reports a blocked or wet part at once, and the provider or the crew clears it before the route is used again.
How are accessible units recorded after the event?
The check of each accessible unit's route, its condition and its visits is written up after the event and filed with the permit record.
A written close-out shows the organizer met the requirement, and it is the proof a reviewer or a later event will ask for.
The close-out notes any route that failed, so the next plan avoids the same problem.
How do you brief the event's medical team about the accessible units?
The medical team is shown the accessible units on the map and told which routes lead to them, so a responder can reach a visitor who needs the unit quickly.
A medical post near an accessible unit is an asset, and the post is shown on the same map.
The briefing takes a few minutes and is repeated for each day of a multi-day event.
Frequently asked questions
Is at least one accessible unit required?
Where portable restrooms are required, at least one must be accessible, according to the City's restroom guidance.
Does the slope matter?
Yes. A steep or soft route can be impassable even with a marked, level unit.
Are construction units included?
Crew-only construction units are handled differently from units shared with the public. Ask the office.
How is the unit marked?
With the International Symbol of Accessibility, and shown on the site map.
Do parks require portable restrooms?
Parks may require them depending on the event's size, scope and location.
Sources
- City of Seattle, Special Events Office, Restroom Facilities guidance
- City of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation
- City of Seattle
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