James Brazelle

Jennifer Ford

Community Barrier Project

Room for Shrooms at
Mellow Mushroom Downtown Augusta

In our community barrier project we assessed the accessibility of

Mellow Mushroom in downtown Augusta; where their mission is to
provide delicious food in a fun and creative environment. This
mellow restaurant is on the corner of Broad and 12 th street in the
Downtown area. One of the first things we noticed is the lack of
handicap parking within the entire block. Besides the on-thestreet parking there is a gravel parking lot designated for mellow
mushroom patrons a short block away that could be used,
however gravel presents a problem with having stable surface.
From this parking lot and street parking there is a cross walk and
a ramp from street to sidewalk leading to the short ramp to the
main entrance. Along the sidewalk we found an open pipe 5
inches across flush with the surface of the sidewalk. This could be
hazardous to visually impaired populations or those using a cane.
All the measurements from the slopes of the ramps to the width
of the sidewalk are all within acceptable limits. The slope of the

James Brazelle
Jennifer Ford

ramp to the entrance was greater than 1:20 but less than 1:12
with added rail and measured at 1:16 therfore within
requirements.
Upon entering the building there are two sets of double doors,
with 73 inches between the open inner door and the first set of
doors. This is more than enough maneuverable space with the
minimum requirement being 48 inches. The doors open very
easily with less than 3 pounds of effort. The closing of the doors,
however, are fast at 3 seconds. Once in the building the
aisles/passageways are very broad and open at 76 inches wide
with the required amount being 36 inches. There are 12 tables out
of 44 possible seating areas that have open end access with
space under the table and in the aisle for a wheelchair. The
waiting area, however big, would put a person in a wheelchair
partially in the way of foot traffic.
The restrooms are at the end of a hallway that has a downhill
slope that is within normal limits but I feel that going down this
slope with a walker, rollator or wheelchair is a little harrowing. The
restroom stall entrances are just under the requirements of 36

James Brazelle
Jennifer Ford

inches with the Mens stall entrance at 34 inches and the

Womens at 35 inches. All other requirements in the stalls were
met, even though the ability to turn around a wheelchair is tight.
Access to grab bars, toilet, toilet paper, paper towels, sink and
soap and over overall maneuverability measurements are within
the ADA requirements. The specifications for the bathroom signs
designating mens and womens were somewhat lacking. The
signs were 10 inches below acceptable height, there was no
braille and the letters were inset instead of being raised.
Overall, the facility has some large oversights but also some great
access for PWD. Not having designated handicap parking is hard
to believe in a downtown area. The pipe opening could have a
durable screen placed on it as a fix that preserves the flow out.
Removing some of the waiting area seating may give more space
for a PWD to wait without being in the way of foot traffic. Also
given that the space within the bathroom stalls are adequate, the
entrance to the space would be an easy fix with a replacement
door and partition. As well, Braille/raised-letter signs can be
purchased for the bathroom entrances. There are plenty of exit
doors and an emergency exit door with braille and raised letters.

James Brazelle
Jennifer Ford