This animation explains requirements for maneuvering clearances at doors in the ADA and ABA standards
Door maneuvering clearances provides space so people with disabilities including those who use wheelchairs
Can approach and open doors and proceed through doorways
Door maneuvering clearances are sized according to the approach direction and the swing of the doors
For most approaches including a forward approach as shown here
space is required beyond the latch side of doors
this provides room for optimum positioning at door hardware.
A latch side clearance of at least 18 inches is required on the pull side for forward approaches
The clearance must be at least 60 inches deep
Projections into door clearances obstruct maneuvering
Fixed objects such as shelves cannot protrude into the required clearance anywhere along the full height
Mobility aides vary greatly in their design and size
Many people use power chairs, scooters, and other alternatives to standard manual wheelchairs
Providing additional clearance beyond the minimum specified will accommodate a broader range of devices
including larger models by allowing more positioning and maneuvering space
Maneuvering clearances also serve people who use crutches, walkers, canes, and other mobility aides.
As with wheelchair access
specified clearances provide room for effective positioning at doors
The maneuvering clearance is required to be flush with the wall.
An offset of up to 8 inches from the face of the door is permitted
Where an offset would exceed 8 inches, such as at deeply recessed doors,
The maneuvering clearance must be located 8 inches maximum from the plane of the door
and be sized for a forward approach
Less space is needed on the push side of doors than on the pull side
Maneuvering space on the push side for a forward approach must be at least 48 inches deep.
A minimum 12 inch clearance is required on the latch side of doors that have both a closure and a latch
This additional clearance allows easier maneuvering through doors against the force of closers
If a door does not have both a closer and a latch,
no additional clearance beyond the opening is required on the latch side
Negotiating thresholds while proceeding through doorways can be a challenge,
especially where doors have closers.
Thresholds are limited to a height of 1/2 inch and their edges must be properly beveled
Thresholds no higher than a quarter inch can have straight edges
Mobility aids including wheelchair foot rests are sometimes used to help push or prop open doors
For this reason the bottom surface of doors on the push side must be smooth to a height of at least 10 inches
Applied kick plates can be used to help protect door surfaces
The standards also specify maneuvering clearances for side approaches
Hinge side approaches on the pull side require more space than most other approaches
due to the maneuvering required
All maneuvering clearances are illustrated in the standards
Maneuvering clearances are dimensioned based on the approach direction, the swing of the door,
and in some cases the presence of a closer or latch
At doors in series, a separation of at least 48 inches between the swing of doors
provides space to get through one door before encountering the next
This required separation also applies where doors swing away from or towards each other.
Maneuvering clearances are required at each accessible door, but they can overlap.
At entry alcoves it is beneficial, though not required, to provide wheelchair space beyond the swing of doors.
As with doors in series this provides enough space to clear one door before proceeding to the next
Exterior doors can be difficult to open due to the weight of doors, wind loading, air pressure, and other factors
while the force to open interior doors cannot exceed 5 pounds,
a maximum opening force is not specified for exterior doors
Automating entrance doors is very helpful, although it is not required by the standards.
If doors are not automated, closers should be adjusted to the minimum necessary for positive latch.
Controls for automated doors must comply with specifications for operable parts
including clear floor space
This space must be located outside the swing of doors
Controls should be located so that users can conveniently proceed through activated doors
If space at the control is incorrectly located within the door swing
Users must hurry out of the way to avoid getting hit by the door
Locating the control away from the door on an adjacent wall, as shown here,
or on a post is beneficial because it provides clear floor space beyond the door swing
and allows a convenient reach to the control and continuous forward travel through the doorway
Further guidance on a accessible doors and other requirements in the ADA and ABA standards
is available from the U.S. Access board
This animation was developed by the U.S. Access Board in cooperation with the federal agencies
that issued the ADA and ABA standards