Locked accessible gate?, originally uploaded by MammonLord.

The marked accessible entrance to this building has a locked gate between the road and the door. The real kicker is that the main entrance is more accessible than this one. It’s yet another example of an incomplete understanding of the law. Clearly the owners "knew" they needed an accessible entrance, but thought it should be separate. It is almost always best to make your main entrance the accessible entry.

Below is a short quiz (geared for California Access Requirements) that you can take to assess your site’s general accessibility. Be aware that access is determined by far more complicated features.

One of the most often-overlooked facets of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is the door.  While parking, restrooms and signage are all notorious for their complexities, doors remain on top of the list for the California Building Code (CBC) of priorities for removing architectural barriers.  This is because while restrooms are often the site of accessibility lawsuits (for reasons we can get into in another article), and parking lots are highly visible, doors are the only architectural barrier which can single-handedly stop someone from entering a site. They can also be a direct source of injury if the door closes too quickly or is so heavy that it pushes one off-balance. Fortunately, it is relatively inexpensive to improve your door’s accessibility, especially considering the benefits that it confers to all of your customers, and even the psychological impression that an easy or difficult entrance to your business can impart.

In general, the path of travel requires what is called a pedestrian envelope.  This means that as a person travels through a site (with or without a mobility aid), there needs to be a hazard-free zone surrounding them.  Some of these requirements include edge protection, lack of protruding objects, lack of slopes and cross-slopes and clear vertical head-space.  What often gets missed is that such requirements also extend through the doorway.

Already the door has many requirements unique to itself as an architectural component.  Between the ADA and the CBC there are almost 60 unique facets of a doorway each. But between the two (one a set of civil rights laws with building code, the other a set of building codes), almost 30 (depending on interpretation) of the door requirements are shared.  While many of these don’t apply to every door, some common requirements that do apply are to further ensure that the pedestrian envelope continues uninterrupted through the door way.

These requirements don’t include some of the unstated requirements that are because of the pedestrian envelope.  Some of these include the door closer height:

Door Closer Above Doorway: Not a Hazard	Door Closer Below Doorway: Possible Hazard

The door closer should always have its equipment above 80 inches.  Since commercial doors are often at 80 inches, to have the door closer arm extend under the doorway is a violation of the ADA.  While not all commercial doors are required to be accessible, as there can be multiple entrances to an area, or entrances to areas not serving the public within an employee area, doors that are accessible should be marked accessible when there are doors that are not accessible.  Thus door closers that go around the door-frame are preferred.  Door closers are a requirement for single user restrooms, so pay close attention to them.

Another common requirement for door closers is the closing time.  Doors that are self closing, such as those in restroom stalls, are required to take at least 3 seconds to close when held at a 70 degree position [diagram].  Door closers should also be adjusted so as to require less than 5 pounds of pressure.

Along with these height requirements there are also threshold requirements.  The ADA and CBC both allow for a maximum threshold height of ½ inches above the landing on either side if the threshold is beveled, ¼ inches if the threshold is not.  What is unstated in both and not allowed are horizontal gaps under the doorway of greater than ½ inches measured in the direction of travel.

While the pedestrian envelope constitutes one of the little understood applications of the code to doors, door usage goes beyond the code requirements.  Such knowledge requires a grasp of how the principles of the ADA apply to actual individuals using a given door.  Door hardware and door latch side clearances are two of such issues.

Door hardware constitutes one of the readily achievable facets of ADA compliance.  We are all familiar with the requirements of door usage — single knobs are no longer allowed.  What is often missed is the door latch (which in commercial doors can be at the bottom of the door) or the older style thumb-latch door handles.  Although not specifically mentioned, the use of a thumb with a pulling motion falls under the rubric of a complex twisting and grasping action which both the ADA and CBC outlaw.

Another set of requirements for the door which presents confusion involves the side clearances at doorways.  These clearances are essential to aid individuals using a mobility aid (such as a walker) in operating a door.  Wheelchair-using individuals and even parents with children inside strollers require level side clearances so they can get the leverage to pull open a door.  This space allows individuals to open the door without the added difficulty of moving backwards to make way for the door swing.  There are often a series of solutions that are co-present with solving latch side door clearances.  The most expensive but most encompassing is the installation of an automatic door opening device.  Alternative fixes would include reversing the door swing or moving it from one side to the other in order to comply with latch side clearances.  This of course, relies on knowledge about the local building code requirements on your building and about the different approach requirements to your door way.

Finally, the latch side clearances also constitute a usable space within a path of travel.  Often, fire extinguishers are placed there for convenience, blocking usage of that space.  Protruding object fire extinguishers can be made to no longer be protruding objects by having the lowest edge mounted below 27 inches, or by placing furniture or detectable warnings under them.  But these solutions to removing the hazard of a protruding object would only interfere with the clear floor space, making the door less usage or even unusable for individuals with mobility impairments.  Further investigation is required per site.

These are only some of the common considerations for doorway accessibility.  Doors are often taken for granted, as people think the width is the only requirement.  Doors constitute the single most important architectural barrier as an inaccessible main entrance means that any work done — whether it be with the restroom, the lobby, any common areas or even in the parking lot can become pointless if your customer cannot enter your business in the first place.

Improving the accessibility of your business may seem like an expensive endeavor, but with the right expertise, you can save both time and thousands of dollars from unnecessary construction. Make it easier, not harder, for your customers to come inside to your store. For any questions or assistance in improving your accessibility, call us today at 866-982-3212 or email us at help@ytaccess.com.

For a comprehensive list of applicable ADA/CBC codes, click here.

Seven businesses in the Coachella Valley were hit by San Diego resident Roy Gash this spring. Gash is represented by the law firm Pinnock & Wakefield, one of the most litigious firms in all of California in regards to ADA litigation.

Gash’s claims against John’s Restaurant in Palm Desert included an improper disabled parking space, a paper towel dispenser in the men’s room more than 48 inches from the floor, a round instead of lever doorknob on the restroom entrance door and a front counter too high to access. Gash is seeking more than $25,000, attorney’s fees and correction of the alleged violations. Gash’s lawsuit complaint states that he “desires to return to the defendant’s places of business in the immediate future.”

In the article three things are revealed about Pinnock & Wakefield:

1. Almost 2,000 ADA lawsuits have been filed by this firm
2. “Ninety percent of all cases are settled early, because that’s what the court wants,” – Theodore Pinnock
3. The average ADA settlement demand ranges from $4,000 to $7,000. From our own experience, this is true.

Click the link below to read the full article:

Link: The Desert Sun (article, August 9th, 2009)

Many business owners are unaware of the thousands of possible accessibility barriers that can occur. Fortunately, many of them are simple and easy to address with little time or cost. Here are six tips from Yours Truly Accessibility that can greatly reduce your liability in minutes.

	Missing ISA Sign on Storefront All business entrances are required to have an ISA logo (International Symbol of Access) displayed in contrasting colors. There is no “certification” required to post this on your front window. Placement of this can be anywhere near or on the entrance door. Be sure not to place this sign where the sign will blend in with the surrounding surface! That defeats the purpose of having the sign.
	Disabled Parking Sign Not Filled In (Or just missing) This sign should be filled in and present at every entrance of the parking with the relevant information regarding disabled parking (telephone number and the location or entity where the car is kept… usually this is the police station). This is one of the most common missing signs in parking lots, and is necessary to prevent disabled parking from being unfairly occupied.
	Unsecured Floor Mats Unsecured floor mats, while tidy, are also a source of trips and falls by people using walkers and canes, especially if they tend to shuffle their feet. These should be attached to the ground with industrial-strength adhesive to avoid bunching up, or simply removed to eliminate liability.
	Mirrors Placed Too High The key here is ‘equal access.’ If restroom mirrors are placed too high (over 40 inches from floor to bottom edge), they are considered discriminatory. Either remounting a mirror (just one is enough) to the correct height or removing all mirrors solves this problem.
	Unwrapped Hot Water Pipes Most people are unaware of how hot pipes can become after hot water has been running through them. Even worse, diabetics and paraplegics in wheelchairs may be unable to feel scalding burns from unwrapped pipes beneath a sink!
	Non-Lever Doors and Non-Button Locks Doorknobs and locks that require a grasping, twisting or pinching motion to operate may be difficult for people with joint problems such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. A door lever with a push-button lock is the best solution.

These are just a sample of issues that are extremely easy to fix, but are legitimate barriers to people with disabilities. Yours Truly Accessibility can help you find and remove barriers, identify possible liabilities, train your staff on disability awareness, and find reliable contractors who will get it right the first time, saving you time and money. Call us today at (866) 982-3212 or email us at help@ytaccess.com if you have any questions about accessibility.