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AAADM Leadership Delivers U.S. Access Board Webinar

Blog 16, February 2023

AAADM was well-represented on the U.S. Access Board's recent webinar covering "Automatic and Power-Assisted Doors." AAADM board of directors member Jeff Dunham and member John Cringole wrote and presented, and AAADM president Len Pursell and secretary Paul Durgin participated in the virtual question-and-answer session that followed.

It was a wide-ranging webinar that included an overview of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards. Dunham and Cringole's presentation focused on ANSI standards, with emphasis on ANSI 156.19 for low-energy automatic doors.

It was streamed live on December 1 and is now permanently housed on the U.S. Access Board's website, where it can be viewed at any time.

The target audiences include architects, building owners, facility managers, inspectors, and maintenance personnel, however, AAADM members can benefit as well.

While Dunham expects AAADM members will be well-versed in ANSI 156.19, he believes they can still find value in the presentation. "Our members might be less informed about ADA and ABA code, and I'd be willing to bet some viewers won't be familiar with the ABA," said Dunham. Enacted in 1968, the ABA covers accessibility for federal buildings.

"I think AAADM members are also going to want to watch to brush up on door owners' responsibilities, especially for performing daily maintenance checks," said Dunham. "So much of the problem of improperly performing doors is due to poor maintenance. Our members have the tools to properly train their door owners on daily maintenance. This can help us remind owners of their responsibility."

Dunham points out that the webinar will be permanently housed on the U.S. Access Board site, where it can serve as a resource into the future.

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