Handicap Door Openers
Handicap door openers have been around since even before the Americans with Disabilities Act. They were all over medical facilities, shopping malls, and even churches. However, it has taken a lot longer for Handicap door openers to become standard in residential homes of people with disabilities. Simply, the automatic door openers were just too expensive for most people to afford.
Since there are an increasing number of manufacturers making Handicap door openers, the competition has made it possible to find really great deals on them. However, it really doesn't matter how good the deal is if the door opener isn't practical for your needs.
There are a few residential Handicap door openers which completely hinder the manual opening of the door. If there is a power outage in your home, let's hope that you don't need to get through that door! These automatic door openers are even potentially dangerous if they are put on a main exit door because power failures almost always occur during fires - or any other time you may need to leave through a door quickly.
The best Handicap door openers will give you several methods of operating them- and not just several different designs of handicap wall plates. If you can't afford one of these and must choose simply one operational method, take some time to weigh out the pros and cons of the mechanisms.
Remote Control Openers
The remote control method of operating automatic door openers has some great benefits. Mainly, it is very convenient to just click a button and have the door open. This is a much better option than having to wheel yourself over to a push plate to open the door.
The downside of using remote control openers is that you then must make sure that you always have the remote with you. Some people may not mind having the remote control strapped onto their wheelchair though others may find this a burden. Also, remote controls tend to operate on batteries so you will have to make sure you always have replacements handy.
Push Plates
Commercial Handicap door openers are operated by a push plate which is located to the side of the door. This is by far the most common method of operating handicap doors. Luckily, residential push plates come in a lot more design options than just the silver plate with a handicap symbol. This method is simple to install and cheap. However, it can be a nuisance to use. Since the push plate is almost always a bit out of the door's entranceway, you will have to wheel yourself to the push plate and then to the door. This is just one too many steps to get through a door.
Coded Radio Transmitters
This is a new innovation in Handicap door openers. You put a transmitter on your wheelchair. Then, when you get close to the door opener, its signal will be received and the door will open. While this is convenient, you may find yourself inadvertently opening doors wherever you go in your house. Plus, it requires you to attach the transmitter to your wheelchair.
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