Designing for Accessibility - Bathnes

1 Designingan essential guide for public buildings forAccessibilityinduction loopfor staff andvisitorsclear, distinguishable floor space in front of liftunobstructed routes, clear signingliftwaiting/talking area quiet and well lit to assist hearing impaired people, integrated space for wheelchairstelephone alcove, accoustically protectedclear view in from outside is helpfulfirm entrance mat, flush with other surfacesidentifiable entrancetransitionallighting out/inloose seats with arm rests preferredAcknowledgementsAcknowledgement sThe publication of this design guide wasmade possible by the generous supportof the Department for Work andPensions, The Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors, The Beatrice LaingTrust, Transport for London, and SidellGibson Architects, Derek Lovejoy,Overbury plc, Alan Conisbee andAssociates, Denton Wilde Sapte andWalsh Associates who contributed theproceeds of a charity football and produced by Andrew Lacey BADrawings by Alison Grant MA Arch RIBANRAC ConsultantFirst published: March 2004 Centre for Accessible Environmentsand RIBA Enterprises, 2004 Designed by Steve Paveley DesignTypeset in 12 point Frutiger by ColumnCommunicationsISBN 1 85946 143 3 Product code: 35231 Published by:Centre for Accessible EnvironmentsNutmeg House60 Gainsford StreetLondon SE1 2 NYTel/textphone: +44 (0)20 7357 8182 Fax: +44 (0)20 7357 8183 Email: Centre for Accessible Environmentsis a Company Limited by Guaranteeregistered in England and Wales No3112684, Registered Charity No Enterprises15 Bonhill StreetLondon EC2P 2 EATel: +44 (0)20 7496 8300 Fax: +44 (0)20 7374 8200 Email: Enterprises is a Company Limitedby Guarantee registered in England andWales No 978271.

2 Designing For AccessibilityThis guide has been produced by the Centre for Accessible Environments and RIBA Enterprises and adopted by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council as good practice guidance in September 1 October 2004 service providers have to take reasonable steps to remove, alter or avoid physical features which impede access for disabled people. The Designing for Accessibility Guide will help service providers plan access improvements that comply with the law. Using the Guide to inform their planning and decision making procedures service providers will also comply with the advice given in the Code of Practice for Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act that access for disabled people should be approached from a good practice perspective. A number of Local Authorities are also adopting this guide which will help promote standards that are consistent across the country. The Council has adopted the Guide to support the Access Policy which puts Accessibility at the heart of the planning and design process.

3 The Access Policy is based on a belief in equality and inclusiveness for all and states that everyone should have equal access to facilities and services regardless of disability, age, gender, race etc. The Council is committed to promoting access for all within the Borough. For more information please contact BDBC s Access Officer on 01256 legislative framework3 Building Regulations3 Access Statements5 British Standard BS 83006 Disability Discrimination Act 19957 DDA Part 2: Employment8 DDA Part 3: Service provision9 DDA Part 4: Education11 Access audits, access plansand access strategies12 Design guidance13 External environment13 Car parking13 Setting-down points15 Routes16 Street furniture20 External ramps21 External steps23 Handrails25 Building layout26 Entrances26 Entrance doors29 Entrance foyers33 Circulation34 Corridors35 Internal doors37 Surfaces39 Internal stairs, ramps andhandrails40 Passenger lifts41 Platform lifts43 Wheelchair platform stairlifts44 WCs45 Fixtures, fittings and services50 Seating50 Counters and service desks51 Telephones53 Wayfinding, information and signs54 Alarms56 Switches and controls57 Lighting58 Acoustics59 Building management 61 Building management checklist 61 Means of escape63 Appendices641: Organisations 642.

4 Publications 66 Index70 IntroductionAbout this guide2 About this guideDesigning for Accessibilityis part of anew generation of design guides jointlypublished by CAE and RIBA series articulates our jointcommitment to environments designedto include the requirements of all guidance in the series is basedon relevant legislation, acknowledgedgood practice deriving from userexperience, good design, and, wherepossible, empirical research. TheCAE /RIBA Enterprises series will assistservice providers, employers andeducation providers seeking to fulfiltheir duties under the DisabilityDiscrimination Act 1995. It will also aidthose responsible for the developmentof the built environment and those whouse it, which can include architects,designers, facilities managers, and arange of consumers including disabled contained in Designing forAccessibilityis based primarily on the2004 edition of the Approved Documentfor Part M of the Building Regulations(AD M), with additional material fromBritish Standard BS 8300:2001 Design ofbuildings and their approaches to meetthe needs of disabled people Code ofpracticeand from the accumulatedexperience of good design for Accessibilityis abouthelping to achieve good practice.

5 Someof the recommendations contained in itare not requirements under AD M orspecified in the British and designers should referdirectly to these documents in additionto using Designing for Accessibility ,which provides a context within whichto apply design guidance. Inclusivedesign is a fast-moving field, and therewill be further changes in legislation,about which service providers, facilitiesmanagers, architects and designers willneed to keep themselves for Accessibilitycoversfeatures that commonly occur in a widerange of public buildings. It does notcover: audience and spectator seating;refreshment facilities; sleepingaccommodation; changing and showerfacilities and bathrooms; or guidancethat refers to specific building references are made to othersources of guidance, details of these canbe found in Appendix one. While Designing for Accessibilityhas nolegal status, an architect s or designer sduty of care to a client will bedemonstrated by following goodpractice guidance contained in legislative frameworkBuilding Regulations3 Building RegulationsIn England and Wales, building designand construction is governed by theBuilding Regulations (see p 4 forScotland and Northern Ireland).

6 Theseregulations comprise a series ofrequirements for specific purposes:health and safety , energy conservation,prevention of contamination of waterand the welfare and convenience ofpersons in or about buildings. Part MPart M of the regulations sets minimumlegal standards for access and use ofbuildings by all building users, includingdisabled people. Since a requirement foraccess was first introduced in 1985,there have been a number of changesto and extensions in the scope of accessregulations. The most recent and mostradical revision comes into effect on 1 May 2004. Whereas previously, Part Mwas concerned with access for disabledpeople , now the requirement (for non-domestic buildings) is simply that:Access and use Reasonable provision shall be made forpeople to gain access to and use thebuilding and its facilities This does not apply to any part of abuilding that is used solely to enablethe building or any service or fittingwithin the building to be inspected,repaired or to extensions to buildings Suitable independent access shall beprovided to the extension wherereasonably practicable This does not apply where suitableaccess to the extension is providedthroughout the building that is conveniences in extensions to buildings If sanitary conveniences are provided inany building that is to be extended,reasonable provision shall be madewithin the extension for sanitaryconveniences This does not apply where there isreasonable provision for sanitaryconveniences elsewhere in the buildingthat can be accessed by building regulation avoids specific referenceto, and a definition of.

7 Disabled inclusive approach means thatbuildings and their facilities should beaccessible and usable by allpeople whouse buildings including parents withchildren, older people and people withdisabilities. Previously, Part M covered newbuildings and extensions to existingbuildings. The 2004 revision brings PartM into line with other parts of theBuilding Regulations by extending itsscope to include alterations to existingbuildings and certain changes of use. Approved Document MBuilding Regulations are supported by Approved Documents which givepractical guidance with respect to theregulations. While their use is notmandatory and the requirements ofregulations can be met in other ways Approved Documents are used as abenchmark by the local authority. The new Approved Document M (ADM), published in November 2003, offerstechnical guidance on providing accessto and within buildings. It is informedby the relevant British Standard (BS8300:2001 Design of buildings and theirapproaches to meet the needs of The legislative frameworkBuilding Regulations4 Building Regulationsdisabled people Code of practice,seep 6), although the British Standard alsocontains guidance on issues that are notappropriate or realistic to control underBuilding Regulations approval andinspection procedures, such as interiordecoration and the selection of doorironmongery.

8 Dimensional criteria in thenew AD M are largely in accordancewith BS 8300. Where there aredifferences, these result fromaccumulated experience fed back to theGovernment during its consultation onthe new AD M, and this should befollowed in preference to dimensionalcriteria in BS is important that reference is made toAD M for details of the circumstances inwhich Part M applies and whatprovision is buildingsSince alterations to existing buildingsare now covered by Part M, morehistoric buildings will now be recognising the need to conserve thespecial characteristics of historicbuildings, AD M states that the aimshould be to improve Accessibility whereand to the extent to which it ispractically possible, always providedthat the work does not prejudice thecharacter of the historic building, orincrease the risk of long-termdeterioration of the building fabric or fittings .The role of Access StatementsApproved Document M recommendsthat Access Statements be provided toassist building control officers in makingjudgements about whether proposalsmake reasonable provision.

9 AccessStatements are particularly valuablewhere:the applicant chooses to meet therequirements of Part M by means otherthan those described in the ApprovedDocumentin the case of alterations to or changesof use in existing buildings, it is notpractical or reasonable to achieve thelevel of access provision normallyrequiredSee p 5 Access Scotland, access requirements areintegrated into general TechnicalStandards. These apply to: newbuildings; conversions; extensions toexisting buildings (but not to theexisting buildings themselves); and partsof a building that are altered or that areadversely affected by an alterationbeing carried out elsewhere in thebuilding. At the time of writing, theBuilding Regulations system is beingmodernised and Technical Standards arebeing reviewed. See IrelandIn Northern Ireland, Part R of theBuilding Regulations (NI) covers Accessand Facilities for Disabled People, and issupported by Technical Booklet R:2000(both downloadable ).

10 The legislative frameworkAccess Statements5 Access StatementsAn Access Statement is a description ofhow inclusive design principles andpractice can be incorporated into aparticular project or development, andsubsequently maintained and Access Statement is not a staticdocument but a living process whichevolves with the scheme, from initiallybeing fairly generic to becominggradually more specific and Statements will be of benefit andrelevance to the designers, contractors,planning, building control and accessofficers, building owners and managersand local access Statements have been usedsuccessfully for some time in planningapplications for large, high-profileschemes. The use of Access Statements isnow formally recommended in Planningand Access for Disabled People AGood Practice Guideon how to ensurethat the town and country planningsystem in England successfully andconsistently delivers inclusiveenvironments as an integral part of thedevelopment process.