Ask Gary ADA

Most people do not pay much attention to the doors they pass through. They go through so many everyday. Big doors, small doors, it really does not matter much to them. A door is a door, unless it has to be accessible. To the disabled a door is not a door, it must be accessible for them to use it.

When you look at a door from a wheelchair, you have to pay attention to every door that you come. Not all doors are equal to that person. If it is to narrow they cannot pass. If it has a high threshold they cannot pass. If it has a door knob their hands cannot grasp they cannot pass. If it is to hard to open they cannot pass. If it opens the wrong way or there is not enough space for it to open they cannot pass.

So what does make a door accessible? First it must be 36 inches wide or more. It should have a lever type door knob, for individuals with limited use of their hands. They only need to hook their hand around the lever, push down, and pull to open the door. It should take eight pounds or less force to open the door. The threshold should be flat or what is known as a zero height threshold. And the door should have an automatic closure device. To simplify even further an automatic opening mechanism could be installed on the door. The access buttons for such a device need to be at the proper height for a wheelchair user to easily operate them.

When speaking of an accessible door, it does not apply only to entry doors. Any door that allows access to a space must meet the minimum requirements of an accessible door. Even an opening, without a door, must be 36 inches or more wide. Therefore in order for a dwelling or building to be accessible all doors must at least be 36 inches wide or more, have lever type door knob, and take eight pounds or less force to open.

I invite you ton try this little experiment the next time you are out. Look at every door a bit more carefully as you pass through it. Ask yourself, is this door accessible? The disabled do it everyday. The results will surprise you