POPSCI.COM / WINTER 2020 69THE NEEDS OF THE FEWLEVER-STYLE KNOBS
Opening new doors
Traditional doorknobs often end up keeping people out.
Rounded ones, for example, can be hard for those with arthritis
to grasp—and not everyone has hands with which to do the
grasping. As of 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act
became law, doors in public areas must require less than five pounds of force—and
only one hand—to open. That often means installing automatic options or broader,
lever-style handles that folks can operate without twisting their wrist (or lifting a fin-
ger, as an elbow or hip will often do the trick). These regulations increased and eased
access for the one in seven Americans with a mobility disability. But they’ve also
been a boon to older adults, young children, and people with their hands full. Touch-
free ways to enter or exit a building can help keep germs from spreading, too.
A warm welcome
starts with a door
that everyone
can open—and
some designs are
more accessible
than others.