Many commercial and public buildings still present accessibility challenges, particularly when fitted with standard manual doors. According to recent research, 28% of people with disabilities report finding it difficult to access buildings frequently or all the time. One of the most common issues involves the wheelchair access door size and the continued use of heavy, manual doors that can be difficult to operate.
While sliding doors may offer some improvement, the most effective solution is the installation of automatic opening doors for disabled access. These systems provide greater independence, convenience, and safety, making it easier for wheelchair users and those with mobility challenges to enter and exit buildings without assistance.
Before purchasing doors for wheelchair access, it’s important to consider key factors such as door width, automation type, safety sensors, and compliance with accessibility regulations.
To help you make an informed choice, our experts at Doorway Services have created a detailed checklist covering everything you need to know before investing in automatic doors for disabled access. This ensures your premises remain welcoming, inclusive, and compliant with accessibility standards.
Let’s get started!
How Do Automatic Doors Improve Accessibility for People With Disabilities?
For many people with disabilities, standard manual doors can create barriers to access, particularly for those using wheelchairs, walking sticks, or other mobility aids. Reaching or turning door handles, or pushing and sliding heavy doors, can sometimes be challenging and limit independent entry to public spaces such as government buildings, retail stores, banks, and pharmacies.
Installing automatic opening doors for disabled access helps remove these barriers and supports equal, independent access for everyone.
Here is how automatic opening doors for disabled access can be beneficial:
- There is no need to open doors manually. The sensors detect the presence and automatically slide open.
- Automatic doors for wheelchair access often have a larger width, making entry and exit easier for wheelchair users and those with mobility aids.
- Manual doors are heavy and can be difficult to operate for people with mobility issues and the elderly. These doors open and close on their own, removing the need for any physical effort.
- Automatic opening doors for disabled access will ensure compliance with safety standards. The sensors detect the presence of obstacles and don’t close until the person has moved. Most modern doors have a battery backup, allowing the sensors to function even during a power failure. They also have a slower speed as compared to a traditional sliding door for ease of movement.
- Installing an automatic door at your commercial building enables compliance with disabled access doors regulations like the Equality Act 2010.
3 Things To Know About Automatic Doors for Disabled Access
1. Height and Width
To make sure an entrance is wheelchair accessible, you need to keep the width of the door in mind. The width of the entrance and the passage should be wide enough for someone to conveniently pass through in a wheelchair.
According to Approved Document M of the Building Regulations, the minimum wheelchair access door size in public buildings should have a clear opening of 900mm or more. Meanwhile, other commercial spaces can have a clearance width of 800mm.
Additionally, it’s important to ensure that individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility aids have enough space to move and turn comfortably without obstruction. This helps them to enter/exit your office building without facing any hassle or congestion. These automatic opening doors for disabled access are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for modern businesses that prioritise inclusivity and convenience.
Overall, we recommend keeping the space around the door as open as possible to ensure that a disabled person doesn’t face any difficulties. Keeping these considerations in mind can help make visiting your business a smooth and welcoming experience for people with disabilities.
We recommend taking measurements of a wheelchair or consulting the experts at Doorway Services to make the job easier for you.
2. Sliding or Hinged Doors
One of the biggest decisions when choosing automatic doors for disabled access is choosing between sliding and hinged doors. Sliding doors are often preferred, as they allow for easier, hands-free entry, reducing the user’s effort when they are entering the building.
Additionally, they take up less space, giving people more room to move freely. However, if sliding doors aren’t possible in certain areas, single or double-hinged doors can be used instead. To ensure accessibility, hinged doors should have a clear opening of at least 85 cm.
We recommend ensuring that doors open and close with only slight pressure, making the process easier for everyone. It’s also important to avoid any raised edges or overhangs so that door movement remains smooth and unobstructed.
3. Talk About Additional Needs With the Specialists
If you have specific requirements for your doors, it’s best to discuss them with our business door specialists. You can also discuss your custom door requirements and ask for recommendations on how to make your automatic doors convenient for disabled access.
Additionally, if you’re looking to get doors installed in a commercial setting, make sure that they are DDA compliant. However, you don’t need to worry about this if you’re hiring door experts with years of professional experience, like Doorway Services.
Overall, just make sure that all your needs are met and all your doubts are cleared before installing automatic doors. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
4. Fire Exit Regulations for Automatic Doors
Commercial doors must comply with fire safety and disabled access doors regulations to ensure the safety of the public during emergencies. You must ensure fire doors have ease of accessibility, even for people with disabilities, as per the Equality Act 2010.
The Fire Safety Order 2005 makes a provision for a “responsible person” who will undertake a fire risk assessment and implement prescribed changes while having a personal evacuation plan for any employee with disabilities. This will ensure that in the face of an emergency, everyone, irrespective of their conditions, can safely exit the building.
Choose Doorway Services for Automatic Door Installation and Repair Services
Automatic opening doors for disabled access make entering and exiting your building easier for everyone and are a valuable long-term investment. They’re especially helpful for anyone who may struggle with heavy or manually commercial doors.
However, it’s recommended to work with specialists like Doorway Services to get automatic doors fitted in your building. Our team of experts have years of experience fitting various types of doors for businesses.
We’ll make sure that all your needs are met and ensure that you don’t face any issues with your automatic doors. Additionally, we also provide door installation services for fire doors, Dane shutters, aluminium doors and more.
If you face any issues with your existing doors, we also provide commercial door repair services to ensure you can continue to use them safely.
To learn more about our services, contact us or call us on 0333 772 7784 now!
Recent Comments