Atlanta mandates push-button doors: What new zoning laws mean for businesses

Atlanta approves accessibility amendment

Atlanta city council has approved a new accessibility zoning amendment which will require push buttons on buildings with few exceptions. 

ATLANTA - For many people, automatic door buttons are background noise — a small detail you walk past without noticing. For others, that button is the difference between independence and being stuck outside.

This week, the Atlanta City Council approved a zoning amendment aimed at expanding accessibility. Most street-facing business entrances will now be required to have push-button access, with limited exemptions.

What the ordinance does

What we know:

With the passage of Ordinance 26-O-1001, Atlanta now requires push-button access at most street-facing entrances to businesses.

In a statement, Councilmember Kelsea Bond, District 2, called the ordinance "an important step" toward ensuring that as Atlanta grows, the city does so "in a way that expands accessibility for everyone."

Bond also framed it as part of a broader approach to "using zoning and infrastructure investments to make Atlanta more livable for people who use wheelchairs and walkers."

Read her full statement below:

"I was proud to cosponsor this ordinance, originally written by former District 2 Councilmember Carden Wyckoff.

"Passing this is such an important step toward making sure that as Atlanta grows, we’re doing so in a way that expands accessibility for everyone. This ordinance underscores the importance [of] how zoning and infrastructure investments can be used as tools to make our city more livable for individuals who use wheelchairs and walkers. Something as simple as a push button to open a door can make a huge difference in the lives of our neighbors with disabilities as they navigate the city every day. I can’t wait to see this new policy implemented in practice."

Disability advocates say the work isn’t finished

What they're saying:

Kim Gibson, executive director of DisABILITY LINK, has dedicated her career to disability advocacy. She views the ordinance as one door opening while the community continues pushing on others.

"I don’t think Atlanta is unique to pretty much anywhere, it’s just we’re left behind," she said.

Gibson welcomes the amendment but wishes it had been done sooner.

"So, that should have been done way before 1990. Should have been done way before 2026," she said.

For people with disabilities, Gibson said, access is not a special request.

"Access to transportation. Access to housing. Access to a building. That’s all we’re asking for. Nothing special. Nothing special about it," Gibson told FOX 5.

In other words, the ability to move through the city the way everyone else does, without needing assistance at every threshold.

So, what's next?

What's next:

The ordinance takes effect immediately.

It’s not yet clear what the zoning code amendment means for existing buildings.

FOX 5 reached out to Councilmember Bond for clarification and has not yet received a response.