Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how heavy doors are getting? I don't think it is just my post operative arm situation. Fortunately many entrance doors operate automatically. They don't single out anyone, opening for the frail customer as well as the construction worker. The ones that are power operated but only if you push the big button on the wall work great but require you admit you are a wimp and create that little side detour to reach the button.
But the problem is the non power door and they are everywhere. The "Medical Screening" department at my local hospital has a door that requires a two handed pull to give way. My first orthopod's office door should have a security camera aimed at it. The footage would separate the genuinely handicapped from the malingerers. One fast food restaurant is designed with the double door air lock arrangement so you can't avoid having to use first your right arm, then you left, to get inside. Our local dollar store's doors look like they are powered but aren't. A good Candid Camera epiosode could feature all the customers who almost collide with the glass expecting the doors to part like the Red Sea for Moses.The double jeopardy situation is trying to exit a heavy door with a shopping cart. Only the moms with strollers can manuver with any skill.
I'm a kind of do-it-yourself person. I'm as likely to open the door for someone else as I am to let someone else open the door for me. But I am obviously sending out vibes or visual hints or have a virtual "Help Me" sign on my back because people seem to go out of their way to open doors for me. And, the fact is, I really appreciate it. It's just too bad that there isn't a burley roofer standing by as I give our sticky back door three tugs to get out.
According to the ADA (American Disabilities Act) there are all kinds of rules for door accessibilty. But of particular interest is their description of the Force required to open the door. They state:
"Interior accessible doors should require no more than 5 lbs. of force to open. This applies to interior hinged doors and gates, as well as sliding and folding doors. The ADA Standards do not specify the opening force for exterior doors, though some state and local building codes may have requirements. Typical maximum opening force for exterior doors ranges from 8.5 to 10 lbs. Doors designated as fire doors must have the minimum opening force allowed by the local authority."
But the problem is the non power door and they are everywhere. The "Medical Screening" department at my local hospital has a door that requires a two handed pull to give way. My first orthopod's office door should have a security camera aimed at it. The footage would separate the genuinely handicapped from the malingerers. One fast food restaurant is designed with the double door air lock arrangement so you can't avoid having to use first your right arm, then you left, to get inside. Our local dollar store's doors look like they are powered but aren't. A good Candid Camera epiosode could feature all the customers who almost collide with the glass expecting the doors to part like the Red Sea for Moses.The double jeopardy situation is trying to exit a heavy door with a shopping cart. Only the moms with strollers can manuver with any skill.
I'm a kind of do-it-yourself person. I'm as likely to open the door for someone else as I am to let someone else open the door for me. But I am obviously sending out vibes or visual hints or have a virtual "Help Me" sign on my back because people seem to go out of their way to open doors for me. And, the fact is, I really appreciate it. It's just too bad that there isn't a burley roofer standing by as I give our sticky back door three tugs to get out.
According to the ADA (American Disabilities Act) there are all kinds of rules for door accessibilty. But of particular interest is their description of the Force required to open the door. They state:
"Interior accessible doors should require no more than 5 lbs. of force to open. This applies to interior hinged doors and gates, as well as sliding and folding doors. The ADA Standards do not specify the opening force for exterior doors, though some state and local building codes may have requirements. Typical maximum opening force for exterior doors ranges from 8.5 to 10 lbs. Doors designated as fire doors must have the minimum opening force allowed by the local authority."
These standards apply to construction post 1992 and corrective measures are limited by the economics of the business involved. I don't foresee any changes in the doors I encounter in life, not even my own back door. But it's nice to be able to complain!
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