What You Need to Know About ADA Handrail Components

Having a handrail that meets the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is your responsibility if you own or manage a building. Do you know what components your handrail needs to have to be ADA-compliant? Learn what you need to know about ADA handrail components to meet the requirements and rest easy.

What You Need To Know About ADA Handrail Components

Understanding and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is essential for any building manager or owner. If you’ve been researching, you probably know that installing ADA-compliant handrails along stairways and sloping ground is an essential first step. However, when it comes to ADA compliance, no handrail is going to give you everything you need. That’s why it’s also necessary to understand ADA handrail components.

What Makes a Handrail ADA Compliant?

To understand why ADA handrail components are so important, it’s helpful to consider the purpose of ADA guidelines. Because these guidelines are meant to make public spaces accessible to those with physical disabilities, ADA-compliant handrails need to be easily used by various populations. To help the most people possible, ADA-compliant handrails must fit specific criteria:

• The gripping surface of the handrail must be between 34 and 38 inches above the stairs’ nosing or the ramp’s slope.
• There must be at least one-and-a-half inches of clearance between the gripping surface and the wall or attachment point on which the handrail is installed.
• A handrail must have a diameter of at least one-and-a-half inches. It should not be larger than two inches.
• Handrails should have “returns,” or elbows at the beginning and end of the handrail, to help guide people on and off the hardware.
• The handrail should run continuously from the beginning of the slope or stairs to the end of them. The gripping surface should be smooth and easy to hold, and the handrail pieces should not move.

How Can ADA Handrail Components Help?

As you can probably tell from the description above, buying any old handrail at a hardware store isn’t going to cut it where ADA compliance is concerned. That’s why companies like Aluminum Handrail Direct offer ADA handrail components. You can buy exactly what you need to build a handrail that meets ADA standards directly from us:

• Our CHR handrails meet ADA standards for diameter and handrail grip-ability and are designed to be installed continuously. They can also be cut to custom sizes to fit whatever space requires a handrail.
• Need a more extended handrail to fit a continuous space? CHR internal connectors and collars can turn a series of separate handrails into one continuous unit. You can also use the CHR 90-degree elbow to ensure handrails are continuous around the inside and outside corners. For sharper or more shallow corners, use the adjustable elbow instead.
• You can also build your handrail returns with our CHR handrail elbows. Use the 180-degree elbow for a simple one-size-fits-all return.
• Do you need your handrail to extend further from the wall than the installation hardware allows? CHR extended wall mounts can give you and visitors to your building all the space they need. (P.S. Check out our blog post How to Extend a Handrail.)

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We hope this guide to ADA handrail components will help you find the hardware you need for your handrail installation. Every ADA-compliant project is different, so if you need advice on what to buy, reach out to our experienced sales team.

At Aluminum Handrail Direct, we are committed to providing high-quality aluminum handrails that are durable, maintenance-free, affordable, and attractive. If you have questions about aluminum handrails or if you are searching for a handrail system that fits your needs, call us at 417-409-3179 or 888-518-9890 (toll-free) or visit Aluminum Handrail Direct’s online store today. We offer handrails, wall mounts, mounting screws and anchors, touch-up spray paint, and more. We look forward to hearing from you!