With over one billion people around the world living with some form of disability, today’s generation has worked to address common accessibility issues through technological advancements in building construction. Given that doors present some of the most common obstacles for people with limited mobility, automatic interior sliding doors are quickly becoming a popular trend for building design in schools, healthcare facilities and businesses alike.
Space efficient and handsfree, automatic sliding doors allow designers to go beyond minimum compliance enforced by codes and the American Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to accommodate universal design and user preferences. Here’s a look at three common challenges these innovative doors are solving.
Handsfree doors improve spatial challenges and traffic flow
Currently, ADA standards state that “doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in. with the door open at 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite of the stop.” While design teams can use traditional swing doors to meet this criterion, in high-traffic areas it can still be tough to maneuver around and through openings. Swing doors can feel heavy and hard to handle. Plus, they often take up a lot of extra room during the opening process. The door’s swing path can impede traffic flow and present challenges for everyone, especially those with disabilities.
Addressing this challenge, design teams can install automatic sliding doors to save up to 30 square feet of usable space. This helps to overcome spatial challenges by easing congestion and improving maneuverability. The placement of furnishings and other essential items is less constrained by approach clearance necessity. Sliding door solutions, automatic or otherwise, can be very beneficial in small spaces where maneuverability is inherently constrained.
With standard systems allowing for the installation of a single door or a bi-parting pair, automatic sliding doors can easily accommodate two-way traffic. This makes them a great choice in settings such as clinics or office buildings, and anywhere people are coming and going in many different directions.
Automatic sliding doors meet a range of mobility issues
When it comes down to it, accessibility is much more than standard compliance. It’s developing solutions that can be available, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. By installing sliding doors that open with a wave of a hand or simple push of a button, designers are able to help meet the needs of all users.
Plus, to ensure access is always available, innovative manufacturers like AD Systems offer battery backups that keep the doors working normally even in the case of a power outage. So, whether the door is granting access to someone in need mobility assistance or a healthcare technician wheeling an equipment cart, design features like automatic sliding doors are beneficial for everyone in society.
Accessibility that exceeds code requirements
In accordance with ADA guidelines, accessible doors need to have hardware that is easy to grasp/use and be no higher than 48 inches from the ground. This is one of the many guidelines that reflect the minimum accessibility requirements. Today’s interior sliding door systems can now exceed the above criteria with various options for actuating automatic surface mounted sliding doors. In fact, options like wireless push buttons, foot sensors, wave sensors or even designs that integrate with access control features are all available. With doors that glide along or into walls to preserve space while also minimizing the need for grasp/use of hardware, buildings and facilities put improved accessibility and usability into practice.
With safe, universal and handsfree sliding door systems like AutoMotion™ from AD Systems, designers can set the future in motion by opening doors to everyone. To learn more about how you can further improve accessibility, take a look at all the features and benefits from our timely product offering.
