Lever Door Handles
Hannah: Lever door handles in some ways symbolize access. In contrast to the typical doorknob there are many ways to open the door with a lever handle. You can use your hand, but you can also use your elbow, your foot, or a towel. The simple extension allows many users to find many ways to open the door. If you can't open the door you don't have access. The Ironmonger Portfolio Series of lever handles tries to take the door handle to a new level by incorporating signage, Braille, and other information into the door handle design. Everyone touches the door lever and it's located at just the right height to include other information. Johannes Potente's 'Handflatter,' designed in 1953, set standards that are still relevant. Design should be blind to culture, age, gender, and ability.
Related Links:
AARP: Lever Door Handles
Bruce Hannah an industrial designer, educator, and writer. He was the chair of the Industrial Design Department at Pratt Institute, the first
Designer-in-Residence at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution and the founder of the New York-based design firm Hannah Design. He is the recipient of the Industrial Design Society of America's 1990 Design of the Decade award for his work on the Hannah Desk System for Knoll International. He is the co-author of Access by Design (John Wiley & Sons).
The HVC Lever Handle System from Ironmonger Portfolio. Designed by Tanya Van Cott and Bruce Hannah.