Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides
ADA turning space: the 60-inch circle, the T-turn and the clear floor space
Someone in a wheelchair needs room to turn around inside a restroom, a fitting room or a hotel room, and room to pull up to a sink, a counter or a button. The 2010 ADA Standards set both. Section 304 is the turning space: a circle at least 60 inches (1525 mm) across, or a T-shaped space within a 60-inch square (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3). Section 305 is the clear floor space: at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) at the element someone has to use (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3). These are the rules of both sections, each with its number, and where the rest of the Standards ask for them.
This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.
Two shapes: a circle or a T
Wherever the Standards ask for a turning space, it can take either of two shapes, with one exception explained below (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3). Both need the same floor: stable, firm and slip resistant, with no changes in level. Slopes up to 1:48 are allowed (2010 ADA Standards, 304.2 and 302.1).
The advisory note to that rule says what it protects: places where people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices park their mobility aid or maneuver to use doors, fixtures and telephones, where a slope or a step would get in the way (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 304.2). Advisory notes explain or illustrate the requirements, but do not establish enforceable requirements of their own (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(b)).
| Requirement | 60-inch circle | T-shaped space |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 60 inches (1525 mm) in diameter, at least (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1) | within a 60-inch (1525 mm) square, at least, with arms and base 36 inches (915 mm) wide, at least (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2) |
| Clear of obstructions | the 60-inch circle is the space itself (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1) | each arm for at least 12 inches (305 mm) in each direction, and the base for at least 24 inches (610 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2) |
| Knee and toe clearance under a fixture | allowed as part of the circle, if it meets section 306 (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1) | allowed only at the end of the base or of one arm (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2) |
| Floor | no changes in level; slopes up to 1:48 (2010 ADA Standards, 304.2) | no changes in level; slopes up to 1:48 (2010 ADA Standards, 304.2) |
| Door swing | a door may swing into it (2010 ADA Standards, 304.4) | a door may swing into it (2010 ADA Standards, 304.4) |
Is there an ADA turning radius?
Many people search for an ADA turning radius, but section 304 never gives a radius. It gives a diameter: the circle is 60 inches (1525 mm) across, at least (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1). Half of that, 30 inches, is the radius of the smallest circle that complies, so a circular turning space measured from its center needs at least 30 inches clear to every side. What the standard checks is the whole circle on the floor, not a radius around a fixture.
The figure is the same in every room that needs a turning space, whether a restroom, a hotel room or a sauna, because each of those rules sends back to section 304 (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.1, 806.2.6 and 612.3). A firing position at a shooting facility is the one place that names the circle itself: 60 inches (1525 mm) in diameter, at least, with slopes up to 1:48 (2010 ADA Standards, 1010.1). There the rule asks for the circle, not the T.
The T-shaped turn
The T-shaped space sits within a 60-inch (1525 mm) square. Its two arms and its base are each at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide; each arm stays clear of obstructions for at least 12 inches (305 mm) in each direction, and the base for at least 24 inches (610 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2). Put together, the numbers add up to the square: 12 + 36 + 12 inches across the arms, and 36 + 24 inches from the top of the T to the end of the base.
Turning in a T means backing up. That is why the space under a fixture may count only at the end of the base or of one arm (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2): the advisory note on homes limits that overlap to one segment of the T so that back-up maneuvering is not restricted (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 809.2.2).
The same advisory shows what the T is good for, with a kitchen: required clearances can double as turning space, which makes efficient use of the room. A work surface with clear space beneath it at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide, instead of the required 30 (760 mm), can be one segment of a T-turn; using both the space under the work surface and the space under the sink is not acceptable (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 809.2.2).
Clear floor space: 30 by 48 inches
The clear floor space is smaller than the turning space and has another job: it is the space in front of or beside an element, such as a sink, a drinking fountain, a counter or a control, where someone in a wheelchair stops to use it. Section 305 sets it:
| Element | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 30 inches (760 mm) by 48 inches (1220 mm), at least | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.3 |
| Floor | stable, firm and slip resistant; no changes in level; slopes up to 1:48 | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.2 and 302.1 |
| Knee and toe clearance | may be part of the space, unless another rule says otherwise, if it meets section 306 | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.4 |
| Position | for a forward approach or a parallel approach to the element, unless another rule says which | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.5 |
| Approach | one full side of the space, unobstructed, adjoins an accessible route or another clear floor space | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.6 |
| In an alcove, forward approach | the alcove is at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide where it is more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.7.1 |
| In an alcove, parallel approach | the alcove is at least 60 inches (1525 mm) wide where it is more than 15 inches (380 mm) deep | 2010 ADA Standards, 305.7.2 |
A forward approach means rolling straight up to the element; a parallel approach means pulling up alongside it. Several rules choose for the designer: drinking fountains, urinals, sinks and dining surfaces get a forward approach (2010 ADA Standards, 602.2, 605.3, 606.2 and 902.2), and the space beside a bed in a patient room is set for a parallel approach (2010 ADA Standards, 805.3). The sink is in ADA sink height and the counter in ADA counter height.
Counting the space under a sink or a counter
Both spaces may run under a fixture, but only the part that meets section 306 counts (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1, 305.4 and 306.1). The rest of the space underneath is not prohibited, it just does not count as clear floor space or turning space (2010 ADA Standards, 306.1). For turning, the shape decides where that can happen: a circle may take in the space under a fixture, and a T only at the end of the base or of one arm (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1 and 304.3.2). In a toilet or bathing room, the turning space may also overlap the clear floor spaces and the clearances at the fixtures (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.2).
What counts is the space up to 27 inches (685 mm) above the floor, at least 30 inches (760 mm) wide and no more than 25 inches (635 mm) deep under the element (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2 and 306.3). Where that space is used to turn or maneuver, the advisory note asks to make sure it is clear of any obstructions (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 306.1). The full table of knee and toe clearance, with the minimum depths and how much the underside may slope, is in ADA sink height.
Where the ADA requires a turning space
Sections 304 and 305 only say what the spaces are. Other sections say where they go. These are the ones that ask for a turning space:
| Place | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet and bathing rooms | a turning space inside the room; it may overlap the clear floor spaces and the clearances at the fixtures | 2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.1 and 603.2.2 |
| Dressing, fitting and locker rooms | a turning space inside the room | 2010 ADA Standards, 803.2 |
| Saunas and steam rooms | a turning space inside; a readily removable bench may obstruct it | 2010 ADA Standards, 612.2, exception, and 612.3 |
| Hotel guest rooms with mobility features | a turning space inside the guest room | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.6 |
| Patient rooms in medical and long-term care facilities | a turning space inside the room, in rooms required to provide mobility features | 2010 ADA Standards, 805.1 and 805.2 |
| Holding and housing cells with mobility features | a turning space inside the cell | 2010 ADA Standards, 807.2.1 |
| Homes with mobility features | a turning space in every room served by an accessible route, except exterior spaces no more than 30 inches (760 mm) deep or wide | 2010 ADA Standards, 809.2.2 |
| Courtrooms | raised or depressed areas reached by a ramp or a platform lift with entry ramps, where provided, have an unobstructed turning space | 2010 ADA Standards, 808.2 |
| Play areas | at least one turning space on the same level as the play components, right next to the swings where there are swings | 2010 ADA Standards, 1008.4.1 |
| Amusement rides and fishing piers | a turning space in the load and unload areas of rides, and at least one on fishing piers and platforms | 2010 ADA Standards, 1002.3 and 1005.5 |
Corridors and elevators use the same shapes. An accessible route narrower than 60 inches (1525 mm) has a passing space at least every 200 feet (61 m): a 60 by 60 inch square, or a T-shaped intersection of two walking surfaces whose arms and base extend at least 48 inches (1220 mm) beyond the intersection (2010 ADA Standards, 403.5.3). Where a route makes a 180-degree turn around an element less than 48 inches (1220 mm) wide, it is at least 42 inches (1065 mm) wide approaching the turn, 48 inches (1220 mm) at the turn and 42 inches leaving it, unless the turn is 60 inches (1525 mm) wide (2010 ADA Standards, 403.5.2). The rest of a corridor is in ADA hallway width. And an elevator car with a layout other than those in the table is allowed if it holds a turning space with the door closed (2010 ADA Standards, Table 407.4.1); the car sizes are in ADA elevator requirements.
Employee work areas are not required to have turning spaces inside them, though the Standards suggest them, because employees with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations (2010 ADA Standards, 203.9 and advisory 203.9).
Turning space and doors in a restroom
- The door may swing into the turning space, but not into the clear floor space or the clearance of any fixture (2010 ADA Standards, 304.4 and 603.2.3).
- Exception for rooms for individual use: the door may swing into a fixture’s space when a clear floor space of 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) is left inside the room beyond the arc of the door (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.3, exception 2, and 305.3).
- Exception for private offices: in a single-occupant room reached only through a private office, and not for common or public use, the door may swing into a fixture’s space if its swing can be reversed (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.3, exception 1).
- Dressing and fitting rooms follow the same idea: the door does not swing into the room unless a 30 by 48 inch clear floor space is left beyond its arc (2010 ADA Standards, 803.3).
The toilet, its 60 by 56 inch clearance and the stalls are in ADA toilet height; the restroom as a whole, in ADA bathroom requirements; and the door’s width and maneuvering clearance, in ADA door width.
How to check a turning space with a tape measure
A tape measure and a few minutes are enough to see whether a room leaves space to turn. It is not an inspection, but it tells you what the room will be like in a wheelchair:
- Look for room for a 60-inch (1525 mm) circle on the floor. It does not need a clear square around it, and it may run under a sink or a counter where the space underneath meets section 306 (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1); in a restroom it may also overlap the clear floor spaces and clearances at the fixtures (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.2).
- If it does not fit, look for the T within a 60-inch square: arms and base at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide, each arm clear for 12 inches (305 mm) in each direction and the base for 24 inches (610 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2).
- Check the floor: no step or other change in level inside the space, and no slope steeper than 1:48 (2010 ADA Standards, 304.2). The advisory note counts as a change in level any slope and any abrupt rise beyond what section 303.3 allows (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 304.2), so a threshold that meets section 303, up to 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) vertical or up to 1/2 inch (13 mm) beveled no steeper than 1:2, is not one (2010 ADA Standards, 303.2 and 303.3).
- Look under the sink: the space beneath it counts only up to 25 inches deep, and only where it is at least 30 inches wide (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2 and 306.3).
- At each fixture or control, look for 30 by 48 inches of clear floor in front of it or beside it, with one full side open to the route you came in by (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3 and 305.6).
- Close the door and check that it does not swing over the space of any fixture (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.3).
Turning space and Braillito Maps
Turning space matters for one practical reason: knowing, before you go, whether you will be able to move inside a place. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
Braillito Maps does not record turning space: none of the ten questions is about it. The closest one is the accessible restroom, the room where section 603.2.1 asks for a turning space (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.1). Two other questions help to plan a visit in a wheelchair: whether you can get in without steps, by a ramp or at street level, and whether the doorway is wide. Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows. The score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, and its color always appears next to the number, never on its own.
The app asks you to mark only what you saw and to leave the rest unmarked, so a restroom nobody has checked stays as no data instead of a guess. The checklist does not ask for inches, but a 60-inch circle on the floor is a good way to decide what to answer about the restroom. And if what a place says turns out to be wrong, anyone signed in can open it and tap “Report a problem”. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ADA turning radius?
The ADA does not give a radius. The turning space is a circle at least 60 inches (1525 mm) in diameter, which is a radius of 30 inches, or a T-shaped space within a 60-inch square (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3).
What are the dimensions of an ADA T-turn?
It fits within a 60-inch (1525 mm) square. The arms and the base are at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide; each arm is clear for at least 12 inches (305 mm) in each direction and the base for at least 24 inches (610 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.2).
What is the ADA clear floor space?
At least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm), positioned for a forward or a parallel approach to the element, with one full side open to an accessible route or another clear floor space (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3, 305.5 and 305.6).
Can a door swing into the ADA turning space?
Yes (2010 ADA Standards, 304.4). In a toilet or bathing room it still may not swing into the clear floor space of any fixture, except in the cases listed in the Standards (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.3).
Can the turning space go under a sink or a counter?
Yes, if the space underneath meets the knee and toe clearance of section 306. A circle may include it; a T-shaped space only at the end of the base or of one arm (2010 ADA Standards, 304.3.1, 304.3.2 and 306).
Where does the ADA require a turning space?
Inside toilet and bathing rooms, dressing and fitting rooms, saunas, hotel guest rooms and patient rooms with mobility features, accessible cells, and every room on the accessible route of a home with mobility features, among others (2010 ADA Standards, 603.2.1, 803.2, 612.3, 806.2.6, 805.2, 807.2.1 and 809.2.2).
More accessibility guides
- ADA bathroom requirements: toilet height and position, grab bar height, sink height, stall sizes and turning space.
- ADA toilet height: seat height, distance from the side wall, clear floor space, flush control, toilet paper and stalls.
- ADA door width: 32 inches of clear width, maneuvering space, thresholds, hardware and opening force.
- ADA sink height: 34 inches to the rim, knee and toe clearance, faucets, insulated pipes and the mirror above the sink.
- ADA counter height: how high and how long the accessible part of a sales, service or check-out counter must be, and what applies at bars.
- ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
- ADA hallway width: clear width of hallways and corridors, the 32-inch exception, width at turns, passing spaces, floor and slope, and objects that stick out from the walls.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions. One is the accessible restroom: whether there is a restroom designed for people with reduced mobility. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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