Carl Brahe
Doors must allow independent use by people with all kinds of disabilities. At least one door should be accessible at these locations:
- Each accessible entrance (at least 60% of public entrances in newly built facilities must be accessible to individuals who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments).
- Each tenant space in a mall or other building with multiple business
- Accessible rooms and spaces within buildings.
- Entrances to buildings from all parking structures, tunnels or elevated
- At least one restricted or secured entrance (if applicable).
- Along each building’s required route of escape or
- Public entrances serving different fixed routes within transit
The easiest way to assure compliance with ADA regulations is to install an automatic opener with controls on both sides of the door. The control must be mounted between one and five feet from the door and 34 to 48 inches above floor level.
Doors must have at least 32 inches of clearance when open. Exterior doors are required to be operated with 8 ½ – 10 pounds of force. Interior doors must require no more than 5 pounds of force to operate. This does not include the initial force required to start the movement of the door, but the force required to open the door once it is in motion.
Door hardware must be operable using one hand without grasping or twisting.
Thresholds should be no more than ¼ inch high, but ½ inch is allowed. If the threshold is beveled with steps no more than ½ inch, ¾ inch high is allowed.
Room to maneuver must be provided to allow operation by individuals in wheelchairs or other mobility aids to approach the door and reach the operational hardware. They must also be able open the door while remaining outside the swing of the door. Where the door swings toward the person 18 inches of clear space to the side of the door is required. If the door swings away from the person only 12 inches is necessary. Both sides of the door should have level surfaces or no slope more than rise than 1 in 48 inches. Guest rooms need peepholes at a level that a wheelchair user can see out. An additional peephole to the standard height should be installed 43 inches above the floor.
Where automatic closers are used the door must close from a position of 90 degrees open to 12 degrees from closed position in no more than 5 seconds.