Manouevering
space
Companies
spend lakhs on decorating their offices. But they
forget to provide simple access facilities for the physically
impaired. The instinctive reaction is: it costs
too much―too much time, too much effort. As
a matter of fact, it doesn’t. Here is what it takes
to have an equal-access facility.
Doors:
§ Doorways
need to have a minimum clear opening of 32 inches when
the door is open 90 degrees.
§ They
should not require a great deal of force to open. Heavy
doors should be power assisted.
Access
Route:
§ There
should be a 36-inch wide, clear access route to all parts
within a building. This includes all rooms, corridors
and lifts, as well as fixtures like tables, telephones,
cupboards and light switches.
§ Similarly,
there should be at least a 36-inch wide access route
from the parking area to the building, as well as between
buildings on the same site.
Slopes:
§ If
the floor level changes more than 0.5 inches at any place,
then a slope, ramp, curb ramp or an elevator needs to
be provided.
§ The
slope ratio should not be more than 1:12 for a maximum
rise of 6 inches.
§ Anything
steeper than 1:20 is a ramp and should have a minimum
clear width of 36 inches. It should have a landing
both at the top and the bottom of the same width and
should not lead directly into a turn. It should
also have handrails at both sides.
Rest
Rooms:
§ There
needs to be at least one rest rooms for men and one for
women on each floor of a building that can be accessed
by a wheelchair.
§ The
doors to these rest rooms should open outward.
Wheelchairs:
§ The
minimum area required for a stationary wheelchair is
approximately 32 inches x 48 inches. Cubicles and
desk spaces need to be designed keeping this in mind.
§ At
corridor endings and turns a clear space of 60 inches
is required for a wheelchair to turn. Alternately,
a T-shaped space needs to be provided for turnings.
Signs
and Indicators:
§ Wherever
possible, there should be tactile, Braille and visual
control indicators. This includes signs on doors,
corridors and rest rooms.
§ In
lifts, there should be both touch signs and volume indications. If
possible, lift buttons can also be indicated in Braille.
§ None
of the signs should be higher than 54 inches when approached
from the side or higher than 48 inches when approached
from the front.
Detectable
Warnings:
§ Detectable,
tactile warnings should be built into walking surfaces
for the visually impaired wherever there are hazards
on a circulation path.
Ground
and Floor Surfaces:
§ All
ground and floor surfaces, including floors, walks, ramps
and stairs should be stable, firm and slip resistant.
Text
Telephones:
§ These
can be provided for those with auditory impairment.
Source:
DATAQUEST
Dated: April 30, 2001
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