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This page is for anyone checking whether a wheelchair can get through a doorway and use the room behind it: facility managers, caregivers, and people planning a home or clinic. The short answer under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design is that a door opening needs a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm), with more space required beside the door and inside the room. This is general information about a US accessibility standard, not individual advice, and local building codes may differ.
Wheelchair door size chart (2010 ADA Standards)
| Element | Minimum value | ADA section |
|---|---|---|
| Door opening, clear width | 32 in (815 mm) | 404.2.3 |
| Opening more than 24 in (610 mm) deep, clear width | 36 in (915 mm) | 404.2.3 |
| Walking surface (e.g. hallway), clear width | 36 in (915 mm) | 403.5.1 |
| Front approach, pull side: space in front of the door | 60 in (1525 mm) deep, extending 18 in (455 mm) beyond the latch side | 404.2.4, Table 404.2.4.1 |
| Front approach, push side: space in front of the door | 48 in (1220 mm) deep, 0 in beyond the latch side | 404.2.4, Table 404.2.4.1 |
| Extra latch-side depth where the push side has both a closer and a latch | add 12 in (305 mm) | Table 404.2.4.1, footnote |
| Turning circle | 60 in (1525 mm) diameter | 304 (Access Board guide, chapter 3) |
| T-shaped turning space | 60 in wide by 60 in deep overall | 304 (Access Board guide, chapter 3) |
| Clear floor space for one stationary wheelchair | 30 in by 48 in | Access Board guide, chapter 3 |
| Water closet clearance | 60 in (1525 mm) wide from the side wall by 56 in (1420 mm) deep from the rear wall | 604.3.1 |
Source: 2010 ADA Standards, US Access Board. Values are minimums. Dimensions the standard does not mark as maximum or minimum are absolute, and conventional industry tolerances apply (sections 104.1 and 104.1.1). Check your product’s labelling and specification sheet for the wheelchair’s own overall width.
How to read the chart
The 32-inch figure is a clear width: the open space you can actually pass through, not the size of the door slab. See ADA door width for how the 32-inch clear opening is measured in detail.
For a pair of doors, at least one active leaf must meet the 32-inch clear width and the maneuvering clearance requirement (section 404.2.2). Deep openings have a separate rule: where the opening is more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep, as through a thick wall, the clear width rises to 36 inches (915 mm).
Wheelchair accessible doorway size versus the space around it
A wide enough door is only part of the picture. The clearance on each side decides whether a person can approach, open and pass through. On a front approach to a swinging door, the pull side needs 60 inches of depth and 18 inches beyond the latch side, while the push side needs 48 inches of depth, plus 12 inches more latch-side space when a closer and a latch are both fitted. A walking surface such as a corridor needs a clear width of 36 inches; see ADA hallway width.
Wheelchair accessible bathroom size
The 2010 ADA Standards do not set one overall room size for an accessible bathroom. They set turning space and fixture clearances instead: a turning space complying with section 304 must be provided within the room (603.2.1), and the water closet needs 60 inches of width from the side wall and 56 inches of depth from the rear wall (604.3.1). Doors may swing into the turning space but must not swing into the clear floor space or clearance required for any fixture (603.2.3). A 60-inch turning circle or a 60 by 60 inch T-shape is how that turning space is shown. To see how a wheelchair is defined and classified, read what is a wheelchair.
How to measure a doorway for a wheelchair
- Open the door and measure the clear opening at its narrowest point. Compare it to 32 inches (815 mm).
- Measure the depth of the opening. If it is more than 24 inches (610 mm), compare the clear width to 36 inches (915 mm).
- Measure the floor space on both sides of the door against the pull-side and push-side values in the chart, including the latch-side distance.
- Find the wheelchair’s overall width in the manufacturer’s specification sheet and compare it to the clear opening. A given chair’s width is a product detail, not a standard value.
- If the route includes a lift or a level change, check those separately: patient lift dimensions, ADA ramp requirements and threshold ramps.
Common mix-ups
- Nominal door size versus clear width. The ADA value is the clear opening, so measure the installed opening rather than relying on a door’s catalogue size.
- Chair width versus required opening. The 32-inch figure is the standard’s minimum for an opening, not the width of any wheelchair. Use the chair’s specification sheet for its width.
- Door width versus maneuvering space. The standard sets clearances beside and in front of the door as well as the opening width.
- Standard versus local code. These values come from the 2010 ADA Standards for facilities they cover in the United States. Other countries and local codes may set different figures.
FAQ
What size door is wheelchair accessible?
Under the 2010 ADA Standards a door opening must provide a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm), and 36 inches (915 mm) where the opening is more than 24 inches (610 mm) deep.
What is the wheelchair accessible doorway size?
The same 32-inch clear width applies to a doorway. Approach clearance in front of the door also applies.
What is the door size for a wheelchair?
The standard states a clear opening, not a slab size. Measure the installed opening and compare it with the wheelchair’s overall width from the manufacturer’s specification sheet.
What size is a wheelchair accessible bathroom?
The standard gives no single room dimension. They require turning space within the room and 60 by 56 inches of clearance at the water closet.
For related equipment categories, see hospital furniture and facility products at LAC.
Sources
- US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, Chapter 4 (403.5.1, 404.2.2 to 404.2.4): access-board.gov/ada/chapter/ch04, checked 2026-11-03.
- US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, Chapter 6 (603.2, 604.3.1): access-board.gov/ada/chapter/ch06, checked 2026-11-03.
- US Access Board, Guide to the ADA Standards, Chapter 3, clear floor space and turning space: access-board.gov guide, checked 2026-11-03.
- US Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, Chapter 1 (104.1, 104.1.1): access-board.gov/ada, checked 2026-11-03.
