A skilled nursing facility plans to expand a hallway to accommodate two wheelchairs passing simultaneously. In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, what is the required minimum width of the hallway?
 
1.      36 inches
2.      48 inches
3.      60 inches
4.      108 inches

Transcript

Welcome back to the Scorebuilders’ Question and Answer Podcast! This podcast provides members of the Scorebuilders’ team with the opportunity to explore challenging multiple-choice examination questions with students actively preparing for the licensing examination. My name is Scott Giles and I will be your host for today’s journey.

Ready? Let’s go!

A skilled nursing facility plans to expand a hallway to accommodate two wheelchairs passing simultaneously. In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, what is the required minimum width of the hallway?

1.     36 inches
2.     48 inches
3.     60 inches
4.     108 inches

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is federal legislation that protects individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of their major life activities. This piece of legislation includes accessibility requirements for public spaces. 

It is critical to recognize that the question is asking about the minimum width required for two wheelchairs, not one wheelchair, to pass in a hallway simultaneously. 

Let’s explore each of the options:

Option 1 - 36 inches

According to ADA standards, hallways should be 36 inches wide for one wheelchair to pass through. This width would not be sufficient for two wheelchairs to pass simultaneously.

Option 2 – 48 inches

The ADA requires that hallways are a minimum of 36 inches wide to allow a wheelchair to pass through. A width of 48 inches is wide enough for one wheelchair to pass, though it does not allow two wheelchairs to pass simultaneously.

Option 3 – 60 inches

The ADA requires that hallways are a minimum of 36 inches wide to allow a single wheelchair to pass through. According to the ADA, for two wheelchairs to pass simultaneously, a hallway should be a minimum of 60 inches.

Option 4 – 108 inches

The ADA requires that hallways are a minimum of 36 inches to allow a wheelchair to pass through. In order for two wheelchairs to pass simultaneously, a hallway should be a minimum of 60 inches. A hallway width of 108 inches is significantly greater than the minimum amount needed for two wheelchairs to pass. It’s critical to recognize that the question is asking “required MINIMUM width” which excludes this option.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Let’s explore the all student data:

13% of students selected Option 1 - 36 inches
12% of students selected Option 2 - 48 inches
50% of students selected Option 3 - 60 inches – the correct response
25% of students selected Option 4 - 108 inches

System Classification
This question is a Non-Systems question which represents approximately 14% of all exam items.

Content Outline Classification
This question is a Safety and Protection; Professional Responsibilities; Research question which represents approximately 8% of all exam items.

Level Classification
This question is a Level 1 question since the question requires students to possess basic foundational academic knowledge. Remediation of Level 1 questions occurs through academic review of entry-level content using textbooks, review books, Basecamp, and flash cards.

Academic Focus Area
Looking to review related academic content? Check out pages 791-792 in PTEXAM: The Complete Study Guide.

Thanks for joining us on the Scorebuilders Q and A podcast! See you next week!