GUIDE TO ARCHITECTURAL ACCESSIBILITY 1.

Exterior Accessible Route An Exterior Accessible Route is a continuous pathway with stable, firm and slip-resistant surface at least 36 inches (915mm) wide, which has no curbs, steps, stairs or abrupt changes greater than 6.25 millimeters. It should be free from sand, gravel, gratings, debris or anything that could trip people or result in an unstable or uneven surface. An Exterior Accessible Route provides a safe path for people who walk with difficulty, use wheelchairs, crutches, braces, canes or walkers, or who have respiratory or heart problems or other conditions that limit stamina or mobility.

An exterior accessible route leading to a school entrance.

An exterior accessible route cutting through a parking lot.

Walks, paths and floor surfaces should be free from small changes in level, steps and protruding objects, like branches, shrubs, signages and light fixtures. Holes and cracks should be filled in, bumps should be smoothed out, small changes in level should be ramped and thresholds should be levelled with the path or bevelled. Curbs encountered on the accessible route must have a curb ramp or curb cut. A curb cut is a ramp leading smoothly from a sidewalk to a street. If a flight of stairs is the only available route, a ramp or elevator should be installed.

A curb ramp or curb cut.

2. Parking Parking Spaces Accessible parking spaces should be at least 8 feet (2440 mm) wide with a 5-foot (1525 mm) wide access aisle next to them. Two accessible parking spaces may share a common access aisle. Parking spaces and access aisles shall be level with surface slopes not exceeding 1:50 (2%) in all directions

A 5-foot wide access aisle is provided next to the accessible parking space. Two accessible parking spaces may share an access aisle.

The access aisle gives a disabled driver space to get off and board his vehicle.

One in every eight accessible parking space must be a van accessible space. A van accessible space accommodates vans with side lifts by having a 8-meter-wide access aisle. Each accessible space must be as close as possible to the building entrance and adjoin an accessible route.

A van accessible space enables persons on wheelchairs to get off vans with side lifts.

A 8-meter-wide (96 inches) access aisle is provided for the van accessible space.

Accessible parking spaces should be designated as reserved by a sign showing the Symbol of Accessibility. Such sign should be located so it cannot be obscured by a vehicle parked in the space.

The International Symbol of Accessibility

An access parking space designated by the International Symbol of Accessibility

To calculate for the number of required accessible parking spaces, use the table shown below:

Passenger Loading /Drop-Off Zone A passenger loading/drop-off zone should have at least 5 feet of clear space beside the vehicle for passenger loading. The passenger loading /drop-off zone must connect to an accessible route to the building entry. Curbs at passenger loading/drop-off zones must have curb cuts that are kept unobstructed.

A passenger loading zone requires a minimum of 5 feet of clear space beside the vehicle for easy passenger loading.

3.

Entrances and Doors Entrances to buildings should be approached by a flat or gradually sloping and smooth surface. An exterior accessible route must connect parking areas, passenger loading/drop-off zones, public transportation stops or other buildings with the building entrance. Entrance Ramps Entrance ramps should have a maximum slope of 8.3% or one foot of rise for every 12 feet of horizontal run. For every 30 feet of run a 5-foot long landing or rest platform is required. In addition, 5-foot level platforms must be at both the top and bottom of the ramp.

Ramps are required to have hand rails on both sides. The minimum width of a ramp is 36 inches (915mm). Top of hand rail should be 34-38 inches above the ramp surface. Hand rails should extend 12 inches (305mm) beyond the top and bottom of the ramp segment.

It is important that hand rails be provided on both sides of the ramp.

Doorways Doorways should have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite stop. The maximum depth of a doorway is 24 inches (610mm).

Two doors in series must have a minimum of 4 feet (1220mm) in addition to the width of the door(s) swinging into the space (so a 3-foot door swinging into a hall would require the hall to be a minimum of 7-0 long).

Thresholds The maximum height of thresholds at accessible doorways is 3/4 inch (19 mm) for exterior sliding doors and 1/2 inch (13 mm) for other types of doors. Thresholds and floor level changes at accessible doorways exceeding these heights should be beveled with a slope no greater than 1:2.

A beveled threshold allows wheelchairs to pass through doorways easily.

Maneuvering Clearances at Doors Doors that are not automatic or power-assisted require a minimum maneuvering clearance of 60 inches (1525 mm) at the pull side and 48 inches (1220 mm) at the push side. The floor or ground area within the required clearances should be level and clear.

Door manuevering clearance at the pull side.

Door manuevering clearance at the push side.

Door Hardware Handles, pulls, latches, locks, and other operating devices on accessible doors should have a shape that is easy to grasp with one hand and does not require tight grasping, tight pinching, or twisting of the wrist to operate. Lever-operated mechanisms, push-type mechanisms, and Ushaped handles are acceptable designs. Hardware required for accessible door passage should be mounted no higher than 48 in (1220 mm) above finished floor.

These are examples of non-accessible door handles. The left picture shows a door handle that is not accessible because one must grasp the handle and pinch down on the thumb latch at the same time. The right picture is a traditional ball-type round door knob that requires a tight grasp before twisting the knob to open the door.

Three pictures of different types of accessible door handle The first one is a loop type handle that can be used simply by pulling or pushing. The second one is a lever handle that can be operated without a tight grasp or twisting. The third picture is a push bar which enables one to open a door by just pushing on the bar.

The maximum height of a door hardware from the finished floor is 48 inches (1220 mm).

Door Opening Force Interior doors should take no more than 5 pounds of pull force to open. Door closers should be adjusted so that someone with limited upper body strength or limited mobility can easily open the door.

4. Interior Access Route Inside a building, people must be able to move about through the interior accessible route. Like the exterior accessible route, the interior accessible route is a continuous pathway that is welllit, stable, firm, slip-resistant, unobstructed and at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide. The interior accessible route should be the shortest route and signage should clearly mark it if not all routes are accessible.

The interior accessible route (#2) directly connects the accessible entrance (#1) to the accessible door (#3) of the destination room inside the building.

If not all routes are accessible, the interior accessible route should be clearly marked.

Clearance for Passage People who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers or crutches and braces require more space in which to manuever. The average adult-sized wheelchair uses about 30 inches (760 mm) by 48 inches (1220 mm) of floor space. Because at least 4 feet (1220 mm) is required for a person in a wheelchair to pass a walking person and 5 feet (1525 mm) for two people using wheelchairs to pass, it is recommended that all aisles, corridors and hallways have a minimum width of 5 feet (1525 mm).

All aisles, corridors and hallways should have a minimum width of 60 inches (1525 mm).