I've watched building owners treat automatic doors as a luxury upgrade for years. That thinking is over.
In Canada, building codes focus on accessibility and barrier-free design. Many provinces require that at least one principal public entrance be accessible, which often means providing a power-operated automatic door or an equivalent assistive solution where the force to open manually exceeds prescribed limits. These requirements are tied to occupant loads, use groups, and accessible path of travel provisions in the National Building Code and provincial adaptations.
Automatic doors are not treated as optional extras in these contexts—they are part of meeting accessibility and building-code compliance. When a principal entrance must be accessible, an automatic door or power-assisted operation is a compliance measure, not a convenience.
ADA Compliance Is a Legal Requirement
Buildings are mandating door operators on handicapped washrooms and building entrances. Someone who needs ADA compliance can get into the building without asking someone to let them in.
Every year, thousands of companies face lawsuits from individuals with disabilities for not accommodating ADA regulations. Manual doors create legal exposure and exclude market segments—elderly visitors, disabled employees, parents with strollers.
The cost of non-compliance exceeds the cost of installation.
For medical facilities, churches, retail stores, and public buildings, ADA-compliant entrances aren't optional. They're a critical part of modern facility design.