Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Wheelchair Space: Building Code Definition

How the IBC 2009 define wheelchair space, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

On this page

Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

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Direct answer

Wheelchair space is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Accessibility. The code's own words are: “A space for a single wheelchair and its occupant.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 6 chapters of this corpus, most often in Accessibility (IBC 2009), Means of Egress (IBC 2009), Means of Egress (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.

Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.

What does this term mean?

Wheelchair Space — IBC 2009, Accessibility:

A space for a single wheelchair and its occupant.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Wheelchair Space: Building Code Definition — How the IBC 2009 define wheelchair space, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Wheelchair Space is defined once in this corpus, in the Accessibility chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:

A space for a single wheelchair and its occupant.

Where wheelchair space is used in the code

The term appears in 6 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Accessibility	IBC 2009	48
Means of Egress	IBC 2009	9
Means of Egress	IFC 2009	9
Elevators and Conveying Systems	IBC 2009	2
Existing Structures	IBC 2009	2
Definitions	IBC 2009	1

The term in use

How the code actually writes about wheelchair space, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

At least one companion seat complying with ICC A117.1 shall be provided for each wheelchair space required by Sections 1108.2.2.1 through 1108.2.2.3.

— IBC 2009 §1108.2.3

Each area of refuge shall be sized to accommodate one wheelchair space of 30 inches by 48 inches (762 mm by1219 mm) for each 200 occupants or portion thereof, based on the occupantloadof the area of refuge and areas served by the area of refuge.

— IBC 2009 §1007.6.1

Each area of refuge shall be sized to accommodate one wheelchair space of 30 inches by 48 inches (762 mm by 1219 mm) for each 200 occupants or portion thereof, based on the occupantloadof the area of refuge and areas served by the area of refuge.

— IFC 2009 §1007.6.1

Wheelchair Space: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.

Check	Where	Confirmed
Read the definition in the adopted IBC	Accessibility
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Accessibility (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Means of Egress (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Means of Egress (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Elevators and Conveying Systems (IBC 2009)
Local amendment to any of the above	Jurisdiction's amendment list

A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

Source links

Frequently asked questions

What is the code definition of wheelchair space?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Accessibility as: “A space for a single wheelchair and its occupant.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

Which parts of the code depend on wheelchair space?

In this corpus the term is used across 6 chapters, led by Accessibility in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

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