Wheelchair Door Width Australia – What are the Requirements?

Wheelchair Door Width Australia -the building codes state that the doorway must:

  • clear the opening of a doorway on a continuous accessible path of travel
  • shall be 850 mm when measured from the face of the opened door to the doorstop (as seen in below picture)
  • Where double doors are used, the 850 mm minimum clear opening shall apply to the active leaf.” (AS 1428.1-2009. 13.2)
wheelchair door width australia

This means that the wheelchair door width in Australia required from the side of the door to the frame is 850 mm as shown in the picture.

To work out the size of your doorway you need to consider door hardware as well. 

  •  Depending on how the door is hung in the frame, door thickness, door handles and hinges you will need to add this on to get the clear opening required.

The Australian Human Rights Commission also show what needs to be taken into account when considering wheelchair access in design.

Is it a requirement to automate wheelchair access doors in Australia?

Automatic disabled toilet door

This comes down to each door and the setup. A number of standards come into play depending on if it’s a toilet door, entry door, fire rated door, fire exit door, commercial or residential.

You then you have to look at the hardware on the door itself like the door handles, door closers and locks.

If the door exceeds the maximum force required set out in the standard, you can over come this problem by installing an electric automatic operator to swing or slide the door.

The standard states:

AS 1428.1—2009 13.5.2 Design and performance

(e) For doors other than fire doors and smoke doors where a door closer is fitted,

the force required at the door handle to operate the door shall not exceed the

following:

(i) To initially open the door. …………………………………………………….. 20 N

(ii) To swing or slide the door …………………………………………………….20 N.

(iii) To hold the door open between 60° and 90°……………………………..20 N.

Depending on the setup of the disabled access door it is often a good idea to automate them and add privacy wall mount controls.  

  • This then allows anyone in a wheelchair or with a disability to open the door via a push button and lock the door via the inside push button for privacy.  

We believe that this is a positive design feature. It ensures that those with impaired mobility can live more positively knowing that they have easier access when visiting a bathroom or moving through commercial buildings.

Action Auto Door has extensive experience in disabled door entry systems and work with local builders to widen doors in homes and businesses to meet Australian Standards. For more information on wheelchair door widths in Australia and automating your disabled access doors contact us today.

 

Disabled toilet door sign
Wheelchair-Door-Width-Australia2
Automatic Swing Door
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