{"id":39180,"date":"2017-07-12T14:08:38","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T18:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=39180"},"modified":"2017-07-12T14:08:38","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T18:08:38","slug":"accessibility-of-operable-windows-and-balcony-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/accessibility-of-operable-windows-and-balcony-doors\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility of operable windows and balcony doors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo courtesy Alliance Glazing Technologies Inc.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Steve Fronek, PE
\n<\/strong>To help ensure accessibility of fresh air and a connection with the outdoors for those with physical disabilities, windows capable of meeting operating force and motion requirements of International Code Council\/American National Standards Institute (ICC\/ANSI) A117.1, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, are being more commonly specified.<\/p>\n

Accessibility is especially important in buildings such as skilled nursing and personal care facilities, classrooms and dormitories, and condominiums, apartments, and hotels. As noted in American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 513-14, Standard Laboratory Test Method for Determination of Forces and Motions Required to Activate Operable Parts of Operable Windows and Doors in Accessible Spaces<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Accessible window and door units [are] operable window assemblies, including frame, infill, hardware, and all other appurtenances, required by project specifications and\/or applicable codes, to be accessible to and usable by people with such physical disabilities as the inability to walk, difficulty walking, <\/em>reliance on walking aids, blindness and visual impairment, <\/em>deafness and hearing impairment, in coordination, reaching and manipulation disabilities, lack of stamina, difficulty interpreting and <\/em>reacting to sensory information, and extremes of physical size.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

(The portion in italics comes from ICC\/ANSI A117.1.)<\/p>\n

The need for accessible windows and doors is significant. According to a 2013 publication from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), \u201cPrevalence of Disability and Disability Type Among Adults\u2212United States,\u201d more than 22 percent of adults (i.e.<\/em> 53.3 million people) reported a disability, with \u2018mobility\u2019 being the most frequently reported type (13 percent), followed by cognition (10.6 percent), independent living (6.5 percent), vision (4.6 percent), and self-care (3.6 percent). The study also noted a higher prevalence of disability cited by adults living in southern states, and among women compared with men. Prevalence of any disability and disability in mobility were higher among older age groups. (For more, see CDC\u2019s Weekly Mortality and Morbidity <\/em>Report<\/em><\/a> from July 31, 2015 [64 (29)].) While the current focus for windows and doors is on mobility, it would seem appropriate for fenestration designers to target all types of disabilities in the future.<\/p>\n

As a general building design concept, accessibility has its roots in disciplines known throughout the years as barrier-free, universal, or inclusive design; other names have included design-for-all or aging-in-place. For clarity, this article uses the term to refer to any of these design protocols, recognizing some differences in emphasis and design criteria. Various protocols have placed more or less emphasis on the use of operable windows.<\/p>\n

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Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls features more than 300 high-performance windows ensuring fresh air and connection to the outdoors are made accessible to veterans of all ages and abilities. <\/span>
Photo \u00a9 Phil Weston<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Understanding the U.S. codes
\n<\/strong>Operable windows intended for use in accessible spaces are often mistakenly called ADA<\/em> windows. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/em> is a law\u2014and not a building code, specification, or test method\u2014it is missing many of the necessary technical requirements for compliance testing. Some of the government agencies that have promulgated regulations to help ensure compliance include:<\/p>\n