ADA compliance

The below information is a guide to meeting ADA requirements for doors and doorways. All Sun Mountain doors can be manufactured to meet ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Note that many communities also have State or local accessibility codes enforced by local building inspectors. When a local accessibility code exists, you must follow both the code and the ADA requirements.

Entrance Doors

Most entrances to stores and businesses use 36 inch wide doors that are wide enough to be accessible. ADA requires a minimum of 32 inches of clear opening width measured from the face of the door to the stop when the door is fully opened to 90 degrees. Jambs larger than 24" width require a minimum clear opening width of 36 inches. Projections away from the face of the door are not permitted lower than 34" from the bottom of the door, and projections higher than 34" from the bottom of the door cannot protrude more than 4" from the face of the door.

Door Surfaces

Swinging door surfaces within 10 inches above the finish floor or ground must have a smooth surface on the push side extending the full width of the door or gate. Parts creating horizontal or vertical joints (i.e. stile-and-rail joints) in these surfaces shall be within 1/16 inch of the same plane as the other. Cavities created by added kick plates shall be capped. Sliding doors are not required to meet these requirements.

Door Thresholds

Thresholds, if provided at doorways, may rise no more than 1/2" above the finish floor or ground

Door Hardware

Door hardware that can be operated with a closed fist or a loose grip accommodates the greatest range of users. Hardware that requires simultaneous hand and finger movements require greater dexterity and coordination, and is not recommended. In particular, round knobs which require tight grasping and twisting to operate or other handlesets that require the user to tightly grasp the handle to open the door ("thumbsets" or "gripsets") are often difficult or impossible to use for many people with mobility disabilities. Hardware must be located at 34 inches minimum and 48 inches maximum above the finish floor or ground.

Door Closers

Door closers shall be adjusted so that from an open position of 90 degrees, the time required to move the door to a position of 12 degrees from the latch is 5 seconds minimum. If self-closing (spring) hinges are used, the spring hinges shall be adjusted so that from the open position of 70 degrees, the door shall move to the closed position in 1.5 seconds minimum.

Vision Lites / Glazing

Doors, and sidelites adjacent to doors, containing one or more glass lites installed must have at least one glazed lite with the bottom of the lite located a maximum of 43 inches above the finish floor, OR the bottom of all glazing lites must be located higher than 66 inches above the finish floor.

The above information is taken from "ADA Guide for Small Businesses" and from "ADA Standards for Accessible Design", available at http://www.ada.gov.