Accessibility to Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities

The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, ensures that commercial facilities comply with ADA design standards.  This creates a space without obstacles and barriers interrupting the flow of traffic.

Door opening width, door hardware, and entrance flooring slopes (including thresholds and ramps) are all important elements to consider when making a space ADA compliant.  When equipping ADA doors with low energy door openers or operators, there are some more ADA design standards to address.

ADA Door Clearance Requirements

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and BHMA (Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association) mandate ADA clearance requirements.  ANSI/BHMA revise these standars approximately every five years for technological improvements.

ANSI A156.19 “Standard for Power Assist and Low Energy Power Operated Doors” is the national standard for low energy doors.  Any door that requires a “knowing act” such as pushing a wall switch or using any one of a number of various access control methods to start the automatic opening cycle is considered a “power operated door.”  Force, speed and time to evaluate a power operated door (commonly used in public schools, libraries, and office buildings).  It should require a minimal amount of force (measured in foot pounds) to stop, should travel slowly, and should remain open for a specified period of time before closing.  Proper safety signage is also an ANSI requirement for these doors.  “Power assist doors” reduce force needed to open a door while being pushed or pulled, and will start to close upon release.

What are ADA requirements on accessories?

Additional accessories we add to low energy ADA doors include electric strikes, panic bars, and access systems.  Maintenance and annual inspections to stay within ANSI/BHMA standards are highly recommended.

Low energy automatic pedestrian door openers for ADA doors are an easy to use, low cost, low maintenance solution.  Moreover, they take care of pedestrian comfort and access needs and make you ADA compliant.

So just what are ADA door clearance requirements?  To get more information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA design standards, follow the link below.

Americans with Disabilities Act info

www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adastd94.pdf

If you are ready to get your facility up to ADA design standards, request a quote or take a look at our ADA door openers page.

Certainly we have a solution for you.  Serving Florida from offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, and Melbourne.  Find out if you have proper ADA door clearance from an FDC consultant today.  Call us toll free in Florida 800-321-6487.