The 2026 MSETG special event planning guide requires at least 20 percent of the portable toilets at an event to be accessible, with at least one accessible unit at each location. The guide states the requirement, and this page attributes it to the guide rather than to any statute. The accessible units are placed on level routes near the main crowd areas and marked on the site plan.
Key takeaways
- The 2026 MSETG special event planning guide requires at least 20 percent of units to be accessible.
- A single accessible unit must be provided at each location, whatever the share.
- Accessible units go on the main routes and at the entries, on level ground, with the route marked.
- The requirement is stated in the guide, so the current text should be confirmed with the review group.
- The rule is for special events; a construction crew should still have an accessible unit where a worker needs one.
- Show the accessible units on the site plan so the review can check the share.
What exactly does the District guide require?
At least 20 percent of the units must be accessible, and each location must have at least one accessible unit.
The guide sets the requirement in those terms. The share applies to the whole event, and the one-per-location rule applies to each place where units are set. A plan that meets the share in total but leaves one location without an accessible unit does not meet the rule as the guide states it.
The guide is the District's planning document for special events, and the review group uses it when it reads the restroom plan.
How is the 20 percent worked out?
The share is taken from the total number of units for the event, and the number of accessible units is rounded up to meet the share.
If an event has twelve units, the share is two or three accessible units depending on how the rounding is applied, and the plan should use the higher figure to be safe. Each location still needs at least one accessible unit, so a second location with a single unit needs its own accessible one.
The count is shown on the site plan with the accessible units marked, so the reviewer can check the share directly.
What does an accessible unit need?
A wider door, room to turn a wheelchair, grab rails and a seat at a usable height, with a level or ramped approach to the door.
The unit is a larger cabin than a standard unit. The approach is the part most often missed, since a unit with the right inside dimensions is no use if the path crosses a kerb, a step or loose gravel.
The route from the nearest walk to the unit is checked, and any ramp or plate is fixed so that it does not shift under a wheel.
Where should the accessible units go on an event site?
On the main routes and near the entries, food and stage areas, on level ground, and marked so that visitors can find them.
The accessible units are placed on the routes the crowd uses, not at the far end of the queue. The signs are placed where the route to each unit starts, and the map marks them.
On a Mall or waterfront event, the paths are level, and the accessible units sit on the path rather than on a lawn that can sink.
Is the rule the same for a parade or a race?
Yes, where the event is a special event under the guide. The accessible units are placed at the start, the finish and along the route where the route allows.
A parade or a race has routes rather than a single site, and the accessible units are placed at the start, the finish and the main points along the route. The route is kept level, and the plan shows where each unit is.
A race's own arrangements for accessibility are also in its file, and the restroom plan follows the same rule.
Does a construction job need accessible units?
The District's special event rule does not set a construction count, but a crew member who uses a wheelchair needs a usable unit on the route from the work area.
A construction crew is usually known in advance, so the unit can be placed where it is needed. A second accessible unit is worth planning on a long job, so that one can be serviced while the other is in use.
The unit is on a level route from the work area, with a ramp or plate across any kerb.
How are accessible units serviced?
They are serviced on the same visits as the others, and checked for the door, the rails, the ramp and the route at each visit.
An accessible unit that is not cleaned soon stops being usable. The seat, the rails and the floor are cleaned on each visit, and any fault with the lock, the door closer or the ramp is written down and fixed before the next busy day.
A windy or wet day can shift a ramp, so the visit includes a look at the pad and the approach.
What should the plan say about accessibility?
The plan states the total units, the accessible count and the share, the location of each accessible unit and the route to it, and the servicing for those units.
A short paragraph in the restroom section is enough, with the site map showing the placement. The review reads the figures against the rule, and a plan with the figures written out is easier to approve.
The statement should match the site map exactly, so that the count on the map and in the text agree.
Who confirms the current text of the rule?
The organiser confirms the current text of the guide with the Mayor's Special Events Task Group before filing the file.
The guide is revised, and the figure in this guide is the one stated in the 2026 edition. The organiser checks the version the group will use and asks the group to confirm any point that is unclear.
Call (888) 351-0294 to discuss how the accessible units fit the event before filing.
What does this rule not cover?
This guide does not restate the District rule as a statute or a legal guarantee, and it does not cover every accessibility duty that may apply to a particular event.
The event organiser has other duties on accessibility for the venue, the routes and the services, which are not described here. The rule covered on this page is the portable toilet share and location rule in the MSETG guide.
Where a question goes beyond the guide, the organiser takes advice from the review group or from the agency that runs the space.
How does the accessibility plan link to the crowd plan?
The accessible units are placed on the same crowd routes as the rest of the plan, so that the people who need them can reach them from the same main paths.
An accessible unit placed off the crowd route is one that people with a disability cannot easily find or reach, even when the count is right. The crowd plan and the accessibility plan are drawn on the same map, and the routes are checked against each other.
The stewards are briefed on where the accessible units are and how to direct a visitor to them, and the sign at each cluster names the nearest accessible unit.
What about the approach on a grass or gravel site?
Grass and gravel are hard for a wheelchair, so the approach to an accessible unit is laid on a firm surface or a path that is kept level for the event.
A park or a lawn event can be planned with a temporary path of firm material to each accessible unit. The provider and the organiser agree on the material and the route, and the path is checked before the crowd arrives.
Where a path cannot be laid, the accessible unit is placed on a paved area nearby, and the route from the crowd to it is kept level.
How do you check the plan on the day?
The route to each accessible unit is walked before the event opens, and any blockage or change in the ground is fixed before the first visitor.
A walk-through on the morning of the event checks the approach, the ramp or plate, the sign, the door and the lock of each accessible unit. A barrier or a vehicle in the route is moved, and a unit that has tilted is reset.
The check is written down with the time, so the record shows that the route was clear at the opening.
Who should check the accessible units?
A person who uses a wheelchair should walk the route to each accessible unit before the event, since a route that looks level on a plan can have a kerb or a slope in practice.
A walk-through by someone who uses a wheelchair, or by a person with a mobility aid, finds the problems a plan misses: a kerb that is too high, a gap that is too wide, a ramp that moves, or a gravel edge that catches a wheel. The organiser can invite a local disability group to walk the route before the event.
The findings are written down and fixed before the crowd arrives. A route that is checked once and then left is not checked for the day, so the stewards are asked to keep the route clear.
Frequently asked questions
What share of units must be accessible at a District event?
The 2026 MSETG special event planning guide requires at least 20 percent.
Is one accessible unit enough?
Only if the event has one location. Each location must have at least one accessible unit.
Is this rule a law?
It is a requirement in the 2026 special event planning guide. Confirm the current text with the review group.
Do construction sites follow the same count?
The special event rule does not set a construction count, but a worker who uses a wheelchair needs a usable unit on the route.
Where are the accessible units placed?
On the main routes and at the entries, on level ground, and marked on the site plan.
How are the accessible units serviced?
On the same visits as the others, with a check of the door, the rails, the ramp and the route.
Sources
- Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, 2026 MSETG Special Events Planning Guide
- DC Water, Pretreatment Program
- DC Parks and Recreation, permits
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