Tricia Ebner, Director, Speaks with Buildings Magazine About ADA Compliance

Tricia Ebner, MdeAS Director, recently spoke with Buildings Magazine about how ADA impacts door specifications. The article outlines the 2010 ADA requirements for doors and how a door can fall out of compliance.

“The biggest misconception when thinking about ADA compliance is that design modifications are only made to consider wheelchair accessibility. ADA compliant design creates accessible spaces for people with a wide range of physical disabilities, including hearing or visual impairments and fine motor disabilities,” Ebner said, “One of the biggest challenges present in older buildings is lack of compliant access at doors—both in terms of clearance and operation.”

In general, consider the path of movement of a person through the space and the ease of access when operating the door. Door hardware that can be operated with a closed fist or a loose grip accommodates the greatest range of users, as opposed to hardware that requires simultaneous hand and finger movements like pinching, twisting, or grasping which require greater dexterity and coordination. “Doors that stick are likely not compliant either,” Ebner added, “as they would require more than five pounds of force to open.”

Read more in the full article from Buildings Magazine.