By J.J. Huggins
jhuggins@eagletribune.com
December 22, 2008 12:02 am METHUEN — Like caffeine addicts everywhere, Kenny Cieplik buys his morning cup of java at a coffee shop that has a drive-through window. But he doesn't stay in the car because he is lazy, he stays in the car because it is hard for him to get through the coffee shop's door. Cieplik, 33, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage when he was 11 and now uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. For him and thousands of other disabled people, getting in and out of buildings can be a struggle. That's why he hopes Methuen city councilors will pass the pioneering new law that they're considering. The law would require automatic push-button door openers in "all newly constructed buildings to which the general public" has access. The law would include new city and privately owned buildings that cater to the public. Proponents say it would help disabled people be more independent. "When you want a coffee or tea in the morning, you need the access inside to order what you want," said Cieplik, of Middleboro, in an interview. The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing about the proposal tonight at 6:30 at City Hall, and then they're scheduled to vote on whether to approve it. If they pass the law, Methuen will become the first community in the state to require automatic door openers, according to Jeffrey Dougan, assistant director for community services for the state Office on Disability. "It is a very forward-thinking initiative," Dougan said. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires builders to take certain measures to make buildings accessible, but it does not require automatic doors, Dougan said. Many buildings have automatic push-button door openers anyway, but on the other hand, many don't. "Well, the people that have a semi paralysis and cannot move, they can have a hard time opening the door," Cieplik said. "With an automatic door opener, they can push the button to open the door and get into the door." Cieplik, his mother and his friends run a Web site called thetravelingwheelchair.com. They scope out businesses and government buildings — mostly in their neck of the woods in Southeastern Massachusetts — and rate them based on how accessible they are. They rate buildings on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 the best. After hearing about the law the City Council is considering, they came to Methuen and rated City Hall, the Post Office on Broadway and two restaurants. City Hall has handicap parking spots next to an automatic door, and they found the building to be quite accessible. However, they only gave it a 4 because the second floor men's restroom doesn't have the ADA required safety grab bars on the side and rear wall of the toilet, and neither the men's nor the women's restrooms have a wheelchair accessible sink, they found. The best kind of automatic doors are the ones that open when somebody approaches — they don't require the person to push a button, said Cieplik's mother, Paula. But push-button doors are better than manual doors, she said. "We're pretty happy with any automatic door," she said. The button at City Hall is on the wall to the left of the door and Cieplik had to drive his wheelchair into the dirt to reach it. It's better when builders place the button on a post about five feet in front of the door, said Cieplik's friend, Tony Correia. They gave the Post Office a 3 because it lacked automatic doors and the counter was too high. The City Council voted unanimously to give the law initial approval on Dec. 1. They need to vote on it once more to pass it. Council Chairman Philip Lahey Jr. is leading the charge and he said he's "very hopeful" it will pass. It costs about $3,000 to make a door open automatically, which is insignificant in the overall cost of constructing a new building, said Sid Harris, chairman of the Methuen Disability Commission, which is advocating for the law. While existing property owners and people renovating buildings will not be forced to install the equipment, they would be asked to consider it, Harris said. Small businesses could receive tax incentives for installing automatic door openers, Dougan said. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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