Jeff gives a great description of ADA's requirements re: positioning of the latch. There's another section of ADA that also applies, the need for safety. This is especially important in public pools, where to make the latch too easy open for accessibility would mean a young children could also get it open, a potential drowning hazard.See (b) below:ADA Title 111 - Sec.36.214 -- 36.299 [Reserved]Subpart C -- Specific RequirementsSec.36.301 Eligibility criteria.(a) General. A public accommodation shall not impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out...(b) Safety. A public accommodation may impose legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation. Safety requirements must be based on actual risks and not on mere speculation, stereotypes, or generalizations about individuals with disabilities.Most building officials will accept this criteria, and approve a latch that may not meeting specific requirements of ADA (such as the need to have an easy opening latch release, such as a lever).
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