Disabled access survey tools.

On January 26, 1992, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George Bush. The ADA is a civil rights law (not a building code) that guarantees equal opportunity in public and private sector services and employment for more than 49 million people with disabilities. Part of this law - specifically, Title III - requires "readily achievable" barrier removal. This means that places of public accommodation must be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. While environmental health professionals usually do not enforce ADA building requirements or the Uniform Building or Fire Code, we can and should identify barriers and ensure that ingress and egress to any public accommodation that we inspect comply with the applicable regulations. We can ensure that persons with disabilities are able physically to enter and leave a place of public accommodation and that they have access to restroom facilities.

The tools needed to do this are inexpensive and fit easily into a briefcase or instrument bag. They include an "Assessment for Disabled Access Form," available through your state's ADA compliance office (or call ADA Technical Assistance at [800] USA-ABLE); a tape measure (we find that an 8-foot tape is the most useful); door pressure gauges; and either a bubble level specifically designed to measure ADA compliant slopes or an angle finder. The forms are free, the tape measure costs about $5; the force gauges cost about $30, and slope-measuring devices cost about $15 each. These items are also available in a kit for $35.

We found two door pressure gauges particularly useful: models DPG-PP and U237X-PP, manufactured by HMC(*) in Littleton, Colorado. The designation "PP" stands for "push and pull"; these gauges measure both push forces and pull forces. They are designed with a rubber bumper on one end and a hook on the other. These spring-activated gauges are not quite small enough to carry in a breast pocket, even though they come with a pocket clip. With the hook folded, each gauge is about 8 inches long. The gauges do, however, easily fit into any tool kit you may use for your inspection paraphernalia. The DPG model is the larger of the two; it measures force from 0 to 35 pounds, which also makes it useful in measuring the force needed to activate metered faucets and water fountains as well as interior push releases on walk-in refrigerator doors. The U237X is a light-duty gauge, which can be used in determining lower limitations of interior and exterior door opening and closing forces; it measures force from 0 to 7 pounds. We find the pull feature on both gauges quite useful, particularly in measuring the force needed to close overhead doors or move stanchions and barriers. Both gauges are also available without the pull feature. These models are less cumbersome and can be carried in the breast pocket.

Operation is simple. A small O-ring on the plunger rod is set to 0, down against the instrument's flange, or to the desired maximum force indicated on the plunger rod. Holding the instrument firmly, push or pull a given door at a point approximately handle-high and 30 inches toward the handle from the door's hinge. The force required to open or close the door is read on the plunger scale closest to the bottom of the small O-ring. To interpret the findings, apply the following standards. ADA requires that interior hinged, sliding, or folding doors can be opened with 5 units of pound force (lbf). Although no current standard specifies the force needed to open exterior doors, 5 lbf is recommended. Some leeway should be allowed. Automatic and power-assisted doors should not open to back check faster than in three seconds and should require no more than 15 lbf to stop door movement.

The 20-12SM Slope Measuring Device and Level, also offered by HMC, is specifically designed to easily measure ramp slopes for ADA compliance on new and existing construction. The 20-12SM is a curved bubble level with two window openings that show a 1:12 slope for new construction and a 1:20 slope for measuring any part of an accessible route that is to be considered a ramp. This device is quite portable and ruggedly constructed.

Another measuring device, with perhaps greater utility, is the Angle Finder Plus Level, obtainable from Professional Equipment.(**) It instantly and accurately measures angles from 0 to 90 degrees in any quadrant with a precision of one-half of 1 degree. To interpret the reading, consult the conversion chart provided on the reverse side of the angle finder. The conversion chart gives slopes in degrees, pitch per inch, and pitch per foot. This makes this device particularly useful for evaluating playground equipment and finding the slope of waste lines. The Angle Finder is available in a small (3.5 inches by 2 inches) and a large (5 inches by 5 inches) size. We have found the larger size more convenient for our applications.

Because both the Slope Measuring Device and the Angle Finder are small and inexpensive, we have adopted both for our arsenal of measuring devices. We use the former for ease in measuring ADA compliance and the latter for everything else.

* HMC: International Division, 5996 South Crocker Street, Littleton, CO 80120-2054; telephone, [phone] or [phone], ext. 4452.

** Professional Equipment: telephone, [phone].