DEC 14 1994

DJ 202-PL-875



XX   
Summit, New Jersey XX


Dear XX

     This letter responds to your letter inquiring about
automatic sideways-sliding doors.

     The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) authorizes the
Department of Justice to provide technical assistance to
individuals and entities that have rights and responsibilities
under the Act. This letter provides informal guidance to assist
you in understanding the requirements of the ADA. However, this
technical assistance does not constitute a determination by the
Department of rights or responsibilities under the ADA, and is
not binding on the Department of Justice.

     Automatic doors are not required by the ADA. However, I
will forward your letter to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines
Advisory Committee of the U.S. Architectural and Transportation
Barriers Compliance Board for consideration of your comments.

     I hope this will be helpful. Thank you for writing with
your ideas and observations.

                              Sincerely,


                           Janet L. Blizard
                         Supervisory Attorney
                        Public Access Section
cc: FOIA

01-03508
                                                                               
                                                     
                                                  XX
                                                  Summit, N.J. XX
                                                  July 26, 1994
Hon. Janet Reno
Attorney-General
U.S. Justice Department
Main Building
Washington, D.C. 20530
                         RE: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
                              and SIDEWAYS-SLIDING DOORS

Dear Attorney General Reno:

I just read in today's newspaper of your public information campaign to
alert employers to the requirements of the above law, and your
Department's effective enforcement of those requirements.

One of the clumsiest things for people in wheelchairs is to open doors.
For young people who have long arms which are strong, it is possible
to reach up and yank the door open, but not every wheelchair-bound
person who is directing his or her own wheelchair can do that. There
are people who use mobilized wheelchairs who have little strength in
their arms, yet, with the aid of the electric lever, can direct their
chair forward/backward, etc.

Is there any discussion, or ballpark figure of the cost to convert
ordinary double doors leading to building vestibules and lobbies to
automatic sideways-sliding (telescoping, or paralleling into the
adjacent panels?) I imagine if some effort is put into this particular
type of accommodation, and there are enough potential customers for
such installations among public buildings, apartment buildings, etc.,
enough of them can be made in various standard sizes to make the cost
less then it would be if these had to be custom-designed, manufactured
and installed.

With the ADA as a spur to change doorways to accommodate wheelchairs,
can this particular kind of door be highlighted?

                                                  Sincerely,
                                                  XX
01-03509