BARRIER FREE DESIGN

ABDUL ILAAH M YMOHAMED SHAFIQ RMOHAMMED IQBAL AKALYAN KUMAR GANDHI K

WHAT??? The goal of barrier free design is to provide an

environment that supports the independent functioning of individuals so that they can get to, and participate without assistance, in every day activities.

A well-designed environment which is safe, convenient, comfortable, and readily accessible benefits everyone.

Today accessibility for all is recognized as a basic necessity.

Barrier-free features are now becoming fundamental to all design concepts.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN OR DESIGN FOR ALL Not allowing a person equal

opportunities and participation is an infringement on his/her rights as a citizen of this country.

Throughout the world it is being realized that there need not be an exclusive design effort to suit the needs of people with differences. One proper design, which keeps in mind all the requirements, can work for all.

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Disability is not a phenomenon but a phase. Everyone at one point or the other passes

through such phases. The elderly, ill, pregnant, obese, children, persons with fracture or with luggage could all be described as passing through a phase of disability

OVERCOMING THE SITUATION… It means free and safe environment This is regardless of gender, age or condition. It defines that set of services which can be accessed by all independently Therefore, to list out people affected by barriers –

- Wheelchair users - People with limited walking/movement abilities - People with visual impairment or low vision - People with hearing impairment - Elderly and infirm persons - Pregnant ladies - Children - People with temporary disabilities This is not just giving a Ramp and an Elevator/lift These range from door and passage widths to flooring surfaces, from counter

heights to door handles and railings from signage and auditory signals to tactile guides.

TYPES OF DISABILITIES1. Non-Ambulatory : Impairments that, regardless of cause or manifestation, for all practical purposes, confine individuals to wheel & chairs.2. Semi-Ambulatory : Impairments that cause individuals to walk with difficulty or insecurity. Individual using braces or crutches, amputees, arthritics, spastics &those with pulmonary & cardiac ills may be semi-ambulatory.3. Sight : Total blindness or impairments affecting sight to the extent that the individual functioning in public areas is insecure or exposed to danger.4. Hearing : Deafness or hearing handicaps that might make an individual insecure in public areas because he is unable to communicate or hear warning signals.

NON-AMBULATORY Persons restricted on

wheel chair should use the facilities within the built environment independently without a helper’s assistance. However, wheelchair design must assume that the user should be able to operate the wheelchair without help.

SEMI-AMBULATORY

Persons in this category who use walking aids such as crutches or canes, who are amputees, who have chest ailments or heart disease. The persons in this category include those who can not walk without a cane and those who have some trouble in their upper or lower limbs although they can walk unassisted.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS Width of passage for crutch users (min. 900 mm) Finishes of floor surface with non slip floor material. Installation of handrail to support the body weight at the critical places e.g.

staircase, toilet, ramp, passage with a change of level (800-850 mm). Extension of handrail on the flat landing at the top and bottom of the stairs

(300 mm). To prevent slipping off the cane or crutch from the side of the stairs or ramps

(20 mm high lip on the exposed edge) To prevent a cane or crutch tip from slipping off the side of the stairs or

ramp, install a 20 mm high lip on the exposed edge.

Persons in this category are totally blind or with impaired vision. Visually impaired persons make use of other senses such as hearing or touch to compensate for the lack of vision. It is necessary to give instructions accessible through the sense of touch (hands, fingers or legs).

While walking with a white cane to spot their feet near the tip of the cane the persons may bump his or her head or shoulder against protruding objects.

Persons with limited vision may be able to discriminate between dark and bright shades and difference in primary colors.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS Use of guiding blocks for persons with impaired vision to guide them within the

buildings and facilities and out side the building. (Refer details of guiding/warning blocks).

Installation of information board in braille. Installation of audible signages (announcements) Removal of any protruding objects and sufficient walking space for safe walking. For persons with limited vision use of contrasting color arrangements

PERSONS WITH IMPAIRED VISION

PERSONS WITH HEARING DISABILITIES

Persons in this category are totally deaf or have difficulty in hearing. They generally use their sight to gather information in public places.

Provision of information board in an easily understandable manner.

Provision of illuminated signages, layout diagrams to help the persons easily reach the desired place.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

ELDERLY PERSONS Elderly persons may suffer impaired mobility,

sight disabilities (partially or fully), hearing disabilities or any other physical difficulties, for which the design guidelines for them within and outside the buildings and facilities shall be similar like other physically disabled persons.

ANTHROPOMETRICS

ANTHROPOMETRICS – DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Dimensional data which can be used for guidance when designing facilities and equipment for use by persons with a disability.

WALKS AND PATHS• Walks should be smooth, hard level surface suitable

for walking and wheeling.• The minimum walk way width would be 1200 mm

and for moderate two way traffic it should be 1650 .mm - 1800 mm.

• Longitudinal walk gradient should be 3 to 5% (30 mm - 50 mm in 1 meter)

• Texture change in walk ways adjacent to seating will be desirable for blind persons.

APPROACHo Ramped Approach : Ramp shall be finished with non slip material to enter

the building. Minimum width or ramp shall be 1800 mm with maximum gradient 1:12 for pedestrian,1:15 minimum for wheelchair users.

o Length of ramp shall not exceed 9.0 M having double handrail at a height of 800 and 900 mm on both sides extending 300 mm beyond top and bottom of the ramp. Minimum gap from the adjacent wall to the hand rail shall be 50 mm.

o Stepped Approach : For stepped approach size of tread shall not be less than 300 mm. and maximum riser shall be 150 mm. Provision of 900 mm high hand rail on both sides of the stepped approach similar to the ramped approach.

o Entrance Landing:o A clear space of not less than ramp’s width shall be provided at the head and foot

of every ramp; door swing and alike shall not be allowed to swing onto the landing.

o Entrance landing shall be provided adjacent to ramp with the minimum dimension 1800 x 2000 mm.

o A level resting space outside the swing of any door at the top of a ramp should be provided to avoid the possibility of ‘roll-back’ for wheelchair user when trying to open the door.

WIDTH OF ENTRANCE AND EXIT

STAIRSSteps and staircases shall be intended as analternative to lift access in buildings andshall be of adequate design to allow all persons,with or without a disability, to travel safely andindependently.Where steps or stairs are in an accessibleroute, complementary ramps, lifts orescalators should be provided.

DIMENSION AND ORIENTATION

The required staircases and the main circulation staircase in common areas of a building shall be constructed with treads not less than 300 mm in width (measured at the centre of the flight) from the face of one riser to the face of the next riser and with risers not more than 150 mm in height;The risers built with vertical or receding face not more than 15mm from the vertical, without a projecting nosing;It shall not have more than 11 steps in any flight without the introduction of a landing;It shall be provided on both sides with properly fitted handrails.It shall be provided with non-slip nosing in contrasting color.

STAIRS AND HANDRAILS

HANDRAILS Handrails shall be of the correct

sizes, strengths and shapes and be conveniently located to provide secure hand-grips, and be capable of taking the entire weight of the persons using them.

Handrail to ramp and step shall be fixed not less than 35 mm and not more than 50 mm clear of wall and with a clear height of 70mm from the top of the bracket to the top of the handrail.

The top of handrail shall be at a height of not less than 850 mm and not more than 950mm above any nosing, floor or landing.

CORRIDORS• Corridors are passages providing for internal circulation

within a building.• The minimum width shall be 1500 mm.

• DOORS• Minimum clear opening of the entrance door shall be

900mm. and it shall not be provided with a step that obstructs the passage of a wheel chair user.

• Threshold shall not be raised more than 12 mm.

HEADROOMWhere the headroom is 2000 mm or less from the finished floor level, a warning guardrail or other barrier shall be provided for detection, having its leading edge at or below 680 mm above the finished floor level.

TOILET One special W.C should be provided with the essential provisions such as

wash basin for the use of the physically challenged The minimum size-1500 x 1750 mm Minimum clear sopening-900mm[swing out] The W.C. seat shall be 500 mm Toilet floors-Non slippery[no level difference] Guiding blocks near the entrance should be textural

WASH BASIN The toilet shall be provided with a wash basin

mounted with the rim not higher than 750 mm above the finished floor level. A clearance of 550mm shall be maintained from the finished floor level to the bottom of the apron.

Tap for wash basin shall be automatic or of lever control type without spring loading.

Tap shall not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist.

The operating force required shall not be greater than 22 N.

WASH BASIN

WINDOWS A window should have handles/controls at a height that permits use from

wheelchairs. A window should have an unobstructed viewing zone for wheelchair users. Curtain or Venetian blind controls/ropes should be accessible for wheelchair users.

ESCALATORS AND PASSENGER CONVEYORS Escalators or passenger conveyors are not considered part of a

barrier-free route of travel. However, adequate warning or guarding shall be provided alongside

and at each end of the escalators and passenger conveyors for the safety of persons with visual impairment.

Tactile Warning Strips Tactile warning strips shall be provided at both bottom and top ends

of an escalator. Tactile warning strips shall be provided at both ends of a passenger

conveyor. Design Considerations Escalator can be a useful addition to stair and lift where significant

height difference has to be negotiated, but it should be designed with slower speed for the safety use by persons with visual impairment and the elderly.

The angle of inclination of escalator should not exceed 30°.

LIFTSWherever lift is required as per by-laws, provision of at least one lift shall be made for the wheel chair user with the following cage dimensions of lift recommended for passenger lift of 13 persons capacity by Bureau of Indian Standards. Clear internal depth : 11OO mm. Clear internal width : 2000 mm. Entrance door width : 900 mm. A hand rail not less than 600 mm. long at 800-1000 mm. above floor level

shall be fixed adjacent to the control panel. The lift lobby shall be of an inside measurement of 1800 x 1800 mm. or

more. The time of an automatically closing door should or minimum 5 seconds

and the closing speed should not exceed 0.25 M/ Sec. The interior of the cage shall be provided with a device that audibly

indicates the floor the cage has reached and indicates that the door of the cage for entrance/exit is either open or closed.

SIGNAGES The main purpose of signs should be to provide a clear

designation of places, warnings and routing information.

A person in a wheel chair is less than 1200 mm high. A person who is partially sighted needs contrasting

texture along side walkways and audible signs for dangerous areas,.

Signs should be useful to everyone, easily seen from eye level, readable by moving the fingers and well lighted for night time identification.

Signs shall indicate the direction and name of the accessible facility and incorporate the symbol of access.

The size, type and layout of lettering on signs shall be clear and legible

SIGNAGES Signs should be in contrasting colours and

preferably be embossed in distinct relief to allow visually impaired persons to obtain the information they contain by touching them

Simple symbols and contrasting colours which are universally recognized should be used, e.g. green for safety or go, yellow or amber for risk or caution, and red for danger

SIGNAGES

PARKING Adequate numbers of accessible car parking

spaces shall be provided with proper access, proper designation and directional signage in the car parks.

The parking spaces reserved for persons with a disability shall be located in proximity and with an accessible route to the lobby with an accessible lift or entrance.

The minimum width for a parking space for persons with a disability shall be 3600 mm.

PARKING - REQUIREMENTS

SWITCHES AND CONTROLS

This section is applicable to operable part of controls such as electrical switches, wall socket outlets and controls of other electrical and mechanical equipment.

Switches, socket outlets and controls for lighting and other equipment shall be located so that they are easily reachable for all users.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Ease of operation, visibility, reachable height and

free from obstruction are key factors that affect the use of building services by persons with a disability.

All outlets, switches and controls should be positioned consistently in relation to doorways and corners within a building and in a logical sequence of passage through the building.

Light switches and socket outlets should have a minimum luminous contrast of 30% with their background to indicate their locations.

ILLUMINATION Artificial lighting should be designed to give

uniform illumination and good color rendering of all surfaces, without creating glare, or pools of bright light and strong shadows.

Uniformity of illumination level should be maintained throughout the designated confined areas such as staircases, corridors or the like.

Higher illumination level at the entrance doors to flats and the exit doors should be provided.