Compliance and evaluation of code for low energy power operated handicap accessible doors.

摘要

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the aging of the U.S. population has increased the attention given to the accessibility of public buildings to disabled individuals. Automated doors are a common method for providing access for the disabled, and their low energy operated counterparts offer a cost and possible energy savings over full automation. These doors, activated by the press of a button, are regulated by ADA code through an ANSI/BHMA standard.;The purpose of this study was to measure the compliance of the doors as used in public, and to evaluate the standards that apply to these entryways. Doors were selected from different neighborhoods around the city of Cincinnati, Ohio from different categories of buildings (medical, education, government, recreation/arts, commercial/office, and retail/banking). Door opening times, location of the actuator, closing forces, and other physical attributes were recorded for each of 55 doors at 31 unique locations. Disabled door users experienced with one or more assistive devices were consulted to attempt to establish a link between door opening times and perceived difficulty of negotiating the doorway.;39% of the doors measured by the author were found to be noncompliant with ADA code in some way. The analysis suggests that there is no significant relationship between the perceived difficulty of the doorway and the time allowed for entry. The study recommends several simple and easy to implement changes to the ANSI/BHMA standard that can increase the safety and accessibility of many of these low energy power operated doors.