The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted so as to increase the safety of various fixtures used around the home, such as light fixtures, bathroom fixtures etc. This act lays down certain specifications for products which have to be followed in order to make the products safe for use. This is why ADA wall sconces came into being.

As far as wall sconces are concerned, they can either be ADA compliant or not. What we mean by ADA compliant is that they follow the specifications laid down in the Act as mentioned previously. With regards to light fixtures, the Act states that all lighting fixtures that are mounted on walls at a height of less than 6ft 8inches from the floor, in public locations and egress spaces such as entranceways, passages, halls, aisles, foyers, or corridors should not project more than 4 inches from the surface of the wall. 

What this essentially indicates is that all wall sconces that are going to be placed at a height of less than 6 ft and 8 inches from the floor have to be made such that they extend to a maximum of 4 inches out from the wall and no more. All the sconces designed keeping this specification in mind are ADA sconces.

While this ADA guideline may not be very relevant when it comes to other kinds of lighting fixtures, it is of extreme importance when it comes to wall sconces as the majority of wall sconces are placed about 5 ½ to 6 ft from the floor, which is much lower than the height specified in the Act. Thus, if you too are going to hang your wall sconce at the standard height of 5 ½ to 6 ft, make sure it is an ADA sconce.

The restrictions with ADA wall sconces are only limited to how much they project out from the wall. There are no restrictions as far as the size of the sconces is concerned. Thus, your ADA sconce can be as small as 8 to 10 inches in height or as big as couple of feet in height and width, as long as they do not extend more than 4 inches from the wall. If placing your wall sconce at a height greater than 6 ft 8 inches, it need not be ADA compliant.