Add These Features to Make Your Garage ADA-Friendly
Garage door openers deliver incredible advantages that many homeowners can attest to. It is a great convenience not having to get out to open or pull heavy garage doors even in bad weather. However, while some features benefit the ordinary user, some may quickly inconvenience people with disabilities. Making your facility ADA-compliant is a process, and you may need additional parts or accessories for your SoCal garage door installation.
Widen the Entryways
Walkers and wheelchairs are typically too wide to get through doorways quickly. You can get offset hinges to widen the swing of the garage doors by a few inches. Different ways to broaden the entryways include:
• Temporarily removing the garage door
• Installing new swing-away hinges
• Inverting the hinges for a wide opening angle
• Removing wood stock and other obstructions
• Replacing the current door with a wider one
Get clear signage for a facility with multiple entrances to show the closest accessible entrance. Garages with turnstiles should consider removing the turnstile, setting up accessible ones, or installing an accessible gate adjacent to the standard ones.
Garage Door Hardware
People with arthritis or mobility complications may find it challenging to use doors with handles that require twisting, tight grasping, or using a thumb latch. Experts recommend using loop and lever handles as they are universally user-friendly. Standard 1½-inch diameter grab bars deliver a suitable grip and aid with stability for most people.
You may incorporate a walk-through garage door for quick exit and entry, thus furthering convenience for people with disabilities. This is especially ideal for people with disabilities who are in wheelchairs.
Ramps and Cord Covers
People with disabilities not only gain better accessibility through SoCal garage doors with ramps, but they are also convenient and safer to navigate around obstructions, such as hoses and power cables. To maintain total ADA compliance, ensure that:
• Rail barriers are included for situations that require handrail assistance.
• Data cables and extension cords are covered with low-profile, heavy-duty, and ADA-compliant cord protectors.
Change the Flooring
People with walkers and wheelchairs may find it difficult to move on rugs or thick carpeting. Besides, these may be obstacles or tripping hazards for everyone else. Ceramic tiles and hardwood are safer options.
Parking Lots
You should dedicate and mark a parking spot for disabled individuals, at least for every 25 or fewer parking spaces. Use a sign with the international symbol of accessibility to communicate with visitors, employees, and clients about the designated parking spots. These lots should be allocated close to wheelchair-accessible doorways on flat ground.
The route to the garage should be flat, slip-proof, and stable to ensure safety and peace of mind for disabled persons. Consider building marked crosswalks for access routes that pass through heavy vehicle traffic.
Advanced and Automatic Lighting
Visually impaired individuals can benefit significantly from additional garage door spring installation lighting. Not only can they allow for easy and safe movement in and out of the garage, but they also offer a stronger sense of security and protection. Advanced and aut9mactic lighting can help deter intruders by making them visible or alerting homeowners to take action.
Emergency Release Pull Cord
Garage door release pull cords are ideal for potential emergencies. These emergency pull cords are manual and quick to open garage doors should the automated garage door systems fail. Safety and security experts advise installing emergency release pull cords lower than the typical standing level for easy accessibility by persons with disabilities.
Insulation
Disabled individuals may benefit significantly from additions to garage doors, such as insulation. Keep out harsh weather elements with additional insulation from wood, lightweight metal options, and fiberglass to garage doors in Los Angeles. Insulation is beneficial during the colder season when people spend more time loading and offloading the garage.
Get a Smart Garage Door
Installing a smart door system may be an option to keep in mind if you or a loved one has difficulties using conventional garage door clickers and switches due to a handicap or for any other reason. Smart garage doors use a smartphone or tablet to open and close them instead of pressing buttons or switching functions. Most smart door systems are controlled by a unique app you use on a mobile device and smart door hardware.
Using the garage door’s “smart” technology, people may open and close it from close range or at a greater distance. Additionally, the technology may notify you if your garage door is left open.
Get an Automated Garage Door
Automatic garage door installations offer numerous benefits to people with disabilities and their family members. While traditional garage doors have switches, buttons, and remote-controlled features that appear user-friendly, they are potentially unsafe and challenging for people with disabilities to operate. Automatic garage doors are sensor-operated and require little effort to use, thus making them highly convenient and disability-friendly.
Invest in automatic garage doors with premium-quality sensors for reliable motion detection. It is also advisable to test the automated garage doors often to ascertain their working conditions.
