ADA (American Disabilities Act) Compliant Door Hardware
With an age growing population fast approaching an all time high, more and more
building codes are specifying
ADA (American Disabilities Act)
compliant products and standards. By the year 2030, 71.5 million Baby
Boomers will be over the age of 65 and
demanding products, services, and environments that address their
age-related physical changes.
New specs and laws are being incorporated into building codes
by local, state and federal governments to
allow all people to more easily gain access and navigate
buildings in a safe manner. People
using wheel chairs, scooters, walkers, or those with a limited
mobility issue (such as stroke victims) benefit when you build with their needs in mind.
Currently, more than 50 million Americans with disabilities - 18% of the U.S. population -
are potential customers
for businesses of all types across the US.
This group has $175 billion in discretionary spending power, according to the U.S. Department
of Labor. That figure is more than twice the spending power of American teenagers and almost
18 times the spending power of the American "tweens" market.
Incorporating new ADA compliant modifications and construction in your commercial buildings
can allow you a broader Customer base for years to come.
ADA Door Hardware Products Overview:
Here at Doorware.com, we carry
many ADA compliant hardware products including
ADA compliant signs..
Let's look at how ADA specs pertain to door closers for instance.
Door Closers are rated
by opening/closing force "Size". The Size ratings are from #1 to #6, with Size #1 the weakest
strength and Size #6 the strongest.
- Size #1 = 2 pounds of closing force, minimum
- Size #2 = 3 pounds of closing force, minimum
- Size #3 = 5 pounds of closing force, minimum
- Size #4 = 8 pounds of closing force, minimum
- Size #5 = 11 pounds of closing force, minimum
- Size #6 = 14 pounds of closing force, minimum
To be ADA compliant, an interior door can NOT have an opening force of more than 5 pounds. To guarantee
an interior door with a closer can maintain 5 pounds or less opening force, requires a door closer that
will adjust down to Size #1. Exterior - Fire doors must have the minimum opening force
allowed by your local fire code, usually 7.5 lbf.
ADA compliant door closers sweep must be set so from an open position of 70 degrees,
the door will take at least 3 seconds to move to a point 3 inches from the latch.
To meet this requirement the door closer must have an adjustable closing speed (sweep speed).
Note: Many door closer manufactures will use the term "Barrier Free" for models that
are ADA compliant.
Some of our most popular ADA compliant door closers:
Global Grade 1 Surface Mount
Global Grade 3 Surface Mount
Global Heavy Duty Tri packed
Hager Heavy Duty Slim Line
ADA Compliant Grab Bars:
Another popular product we carry are
Grab Bars.
They are available in many lengths and styles. In most states they are always
required in rest rooms / bathrooms, but we have
had customers use them in many other applications where a safe grip was needed while standing.
ADA and Your Business:
Note that the ADA does not spell out exactly what you must do in every situation.
It lets you decide what is reasonable based on how your business
operates and what kind of accommodation the person needs
because of his or her disability. The idea is not to exclude a customer by being unwilling to
make an accommodation that is fairly simple and easy to make.
We believe that if you are replacing a hardware part or doing new construction,
why not install one that is ADA compliant if possible?
If you consider that in your choice,
in the long run you will be providing better access for all Customers.
It could also prevent costly retro fitting later on if a code changes.
Currently we are updating all our ADA compliant and handicap assisting products on our web site with this logo:
This will let you know right away that the products you are looking at will help all your
Customers and provide the safety
and confidence that your Business is looking for.
Important Tip:
Always use a Door Lever rather
than a Door Knob. Most door lever's are ADA compliant while a
door knob is NOT.
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