Disability Laws, ADA and Access Control
Designing safe Access Control is paramount for everyone, especially those working with disabilities. In the USA, a specific set of codes, the 'Americans with Disabilities Act', mandates that every commercial or public building accommodates those who may have difficulty with 'traditional' building design. Access Control, in particular, is affected by this law, and many global entities pattern themselves from the same guidelines. In this note, we examine the most common ways ADA in the USA and the UN's guidelines globally impacts access control design.
Summary
The Top 4 ways ADA impact access control design are:
- Door Knobs are Illegal
- Turnstiles Must Have Gates
- Accessible Reader Height/Door Controls
- Audible and Visual Alarms
Other potential impacts related to door openers, breezeway design, and double door configurations, but those elements are seldom constructed in a way needing change because of access control. Typically when corrective action is needed, it occurs because of other construction or system updates. We examine the four points above in the sections that follow.
Mandate
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into US law in 1990, and since has be ratified and amended several times. In sweeping terms, 28 CFR Part 36 addresses building structural and subsystem design, ensuring that anyone with a 'disability' - wheelchair, blindness, hearing, or "any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity" has equal access to, within, and from a commercial or public building. ADA does not apply to private dwellings, 'historically significant' structures, or other specifically exempted buildings.
Nor does it apply to 'new construction' only. In fact, the most dramatic aspect of ADA is its applicability to existing buildings. The law spells out that aspect here:
In plain terms, existing buildings are often allowed to remain in a 'noncompliant' state until audits or improvements force the update. In many situations, adding or upgrading access control systems qualify as a 'improvement', and so the move to compliance must be taken as a result.
Door Knobs are Illegal
One subtle, but potentially costly change is the prohibition of rounded knobs on door hardware sets. The code excerpt forbidding knobs below:
Specifically, the law emphasises that door hardware have 'lever style' handles, where rotating the lever retracts the latch. With the number of options available [link no longer available], it is possible to specify illegal types:
Especially with 'stand alone' access control locks, paying attention to the trim handle specification means making more than a cosmetic decision.
Turnstiles must have Gates
Likewise, when it comes to turnstiles or revolving doors, an adjacent gate or hinged door must be installed that permits those in wheelchairs passage through the opening:
In many cases, the gate is a separate entry/egress path from the turnstile, and can increase required opening areas by more than double:
A common concern with 'ADA Gates' is that they simply become 'another opening' to be used by all occupants and become opportunities for tailgaters to 'sneak in' to a facility. For this reason, many access systems grant special access permissions to those in wheelchairs so that only they are able to open the gate. Otherwise, all other occupants can only travel through the turnstile or revolving door.
Accesible Reader Height/Door Controls
All access control user interfaces must be within reach of those in wheelchairs. This limits the mounting height to no more than 48" above the floor, regardless if the reader is mounted in front or to the side of the door:
This standard also applies to other door control equipment, like RTE buttons and powered opener switches. The clearance for door swings and the time a door is unlocked may also be increased on these openings, to allow for the extra time needed to reposition the chair and roll through the opening.
Audible and Visual Alarms
While generally associated with fire or other emergency alarm systems, the requirement that all alarms be both seen and heard can apply to access control, specifically in delayed egress applications. In the advent that someone is blind or deaf, an alternate method of notifying them of a countdown period needs to be readily apparent.
As a result, many AHJs require that digital counters accompany sirens on alarmed doors. While many equipment vendors offer 'ADA Compliant' options that are piece together in the field, several offer devices that integrate both features in one unit:
International Acceptance
While ADA is US legislation, it is used as a guideline internationally. While it may not be enforced as law, many countries have adopted the codes as 'best practices'. In recent years, the United Nations has accepted ADA into international accessibility guidelines that have been ratified or principally accepted by several countries (click image for larger version):
