One of the dumbest things I ever did was build this mobile workbench a few years ago out of leftover 2x4s. I built it in my apartment, intending to use it in my studio. My apartment front door is 36 inches wide and I wanted the bench to be as big as possible, so I built it to be precisely 35.5 inches wide. When I tried to wheel it out the door...it didn't fit. I'd forgotten to allow for the thickness of the door that protrudes into the doorway when it's wide open, which is anywhere from 1.5 to 2 inches.
That extra inch or two may not be a big deal to most people (and most competent handymen), but if you're in a wheelchair, you want every inch of extra doorway width you can get, to avoid scraping knuckles. That's why healthcare manufacturer Duro-Med Industries makes this clever Expandable Door Hinge:
It doesn't actively expand, but the hinge is shaped with two extra bends so you get full clearance with the door open. It's sold by the Institute for Human Centered Design (formerly known as Adaptive Environments), a 30-year-old Boston-based nonprofit "committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages and abilities." You can check out their online store here.
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