Project Summary
This project will retrofit approximately 140 existing door openers across the Carleton University campus with the Key2Access OpenUp system.
Traditional accessible door opener buttons or plates do not meet the needs of all individuals with mobility or vision impairments. Many find themselves unable to locate an opener button, to reach it, or to effectively maneuver through the door before it automatically closes. Fixed opener buttons may require individuals to alter their approach to a door. If sets of two doors open and close together, individuals can become trapped between them. Those with vision impairment may also face challenges, first to finding the button and then anticipating when, and in which direction, a door will swing open.
By wirelessly pairing with a user’s smartphone, the Key2Access system allows individuals to open doors directly from their personal device through a free app, either by pressing a button on the screen or using voice commands. Once installed, the Key2Access units can also serve as information beacons to communicate key wayfinding messages directly to users’ phones such as hours of operation, additional accessibility features in the building like ramps and accessible washrooms, events taking place in the building, or the destinations that can be found in each direction. Users can also receive verbal confirmation through their personal device that the door is opening, and in which direction the door will swing.
Funding
The Accessibility Institute and Facilities Management and Planning applied for and were awarded an Enabling Accessibility Fund Small Projects grant from Economic and Social Development Canada. This grant provides $79,830 to Carleton University, with an additional $19,960 in project funding coming from the University’s Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities.
Project Partners
Contact
For inquiries about this project, please contact Eric Fletcher.