Design of Buildings and Their Approaches to Meet the Needs of Disabled People – Code of Practice

Annex A (informative) (Page 146)

Development of Legislation on Access and Facilities for Disabled People

 From October 2004, service providers will have to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their new and existing premises, if it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to access their services, for the determination of “unreasonably difficult” BS 8300:2001 is used. 

[1]From October 1999, service providers were required to take reasonable steps to: 

a)           Change any practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service.

b)           Provide an auxiliary aid or service which would enable disabled people to use a service;

c)           Overcome physical barriers which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service, by providing the service by a reasonable alternative method. 

1 Scope 

This British Standard applies to the following types of building: 

a)           Transport and industrial buildings, e.g. rail, road, sea and air travel buildings and associated concourses, car-parking buildings and factories;

b)           Administrative and commercial buildings, e.g. courts, offices, banks, post offices, shops, department stores and shopping centres, and public service buildings, including police stations;

c)           Health and welfare buildings, e.g. hospitals, health centres, surgeries and residential homes;

d)           Refreshment, entertainment and recreational buildings, e.g. cafes, restaurants, public houses, concert halls, theatres, cinemas, conference buildings, community buildings, swimming pools and sports buildings;

e)           Religious buildings;

f)             Educational, cultural and scientific buildings, e.g. schools, universities, colleges, zoos, museums, art galleries, libraries and exhibition buildings;

g)           Dwellings and other residential buildings, e.g. hostels, hotels, residential clubs, university and college halls of residence, nursing homes and prisons. 

This British Standard, having been prepared under the direction of the Sector Policy and Strategic Committee for Building and Civil Engineering, was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31^st October 2001. 

As a code of practice, this British Standard takes the form of guidance and recommendations.  It should be quoted as if it were a specification and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading. 

        

5.2    Width and Height of an Access Route (Page 11) 

To be accessible, the minimum unobstructed width of an access route should be: 

a)           At least 1800mm, if there is intense simultaneous use in both directions by the population at large, including people in wheelchairs; 

b)           At least 1500mm, if the route is less busy and passing places are provided for wheelchair users.  

c)           At least 1200mm, in exceptional circumstances, e.g. for rarely used access routes; 

d)           At least 900mm, for paths within the curtilage of a single dwelling. 

6          Entering a Building (page 23) 

6.1.2  Visual Clarity  

The principal entrance door should contrast in luminance with its immediate surroundings and should be well lit and clearly signed.  It should not be of a highly polished material such as stainless steel. 

Where possible, subject to the needs of security, safety and/or privacy, entrance doors and any associated windows should provide a clear view of the interior of the building, or of the entrance lobby if one is provided. 

6.3.6.3 Glazing in an Entrance Lobby (Page 27) 

Glazing incorporated into an entrance lobby should not create distracting reflections.  It should be designed in accordance with the requirements of BS 6262-4. 

6.4.4 Glass Doors (Page 31) 

The presence of a glass door should be made apparent, with permanent strips on the glass (manifestation) within a zone 1400mm to 1600mm from the floor, contrasting in colour and luminance with the background seen through the glass in all light conditions (see note 2 to 9.1.1). The edges of a glass door should also be apparent when the door is open. 

If a glass door is adjacent to, or is incorporated within, a fully glazed wall, the door and wall should be clearly differentiated from one another, with the door more prominent.

note 1             To achieve this, the door may be framed on both sides and the top by an opaque high-contrast strip at least 25mm wide.

note 2             Guidance on the design of glazed doors is given in BS6262. 

        

7.2.5 Doors Leading into Corridors (Page 37) 

The leading edge of any door that is likely to be held open should contrast in colour and luminance with the remaining surfaces of the door and its surroundings to help identification by visually impaired people.  The architrave should contrast in colour and luminance with the wall surfaces surrounding the doorway (see note 2 to 9.1.1). 

7.2.6 Doors Across Corridors (Page 37) 

Glass doors across corridors and passageways should be avoided, wherever possible.  If they are used, they should conform to the recommendations of 6.4.4.  The architrave should contrast in colour and lumininance with the wall surfaces surrounding the doorway (see note 2 to 9.1.1). 

8.4.3 Passenger Lifts (Page 45) 

Areas of glass in lifts, particularly glass doors, should be easily identifiable as glass to people with impaired vision (see 9.1.5) 

9.1.1 Visual Characteristics (Page 47) 

commentary on 9.1.1.  People with impaired vision will be confused by reflections and glare from shiny surfaces, i.e. glass.  Glare and reflections also make it more difficult for people to lip read. 

9.1.5 Glazed Walls and Screens (Page 49) 

Glazed walls should conform to BS 6262. 

The surfaces of glazed walls and screens that are adjacent to doors, or form part of an enclosure, should be clearly highlighted with coloured warning (not treated glass) at least 150mm square which contrasts with the surface behind it under both natural and artificial lighting conditions.  This warning should be located with its centre line at the eye level of a wheelchair user and at the eye level of a person standing, i.e. at both 1050mm and 1500 above floor level. 

commentary on 9.1.5.  Glazed screens which give the illusion that there is unimpeded access at these points, can be hazardous and confusing for people with impaired vision. 

Glazed screens should be constructed from non-reflective glass and located so that they do not affect the ability of people with impaired hearing to lip read through them. 

note  This is important where glazed screens are used in banks and other locations where customers may need to lip-read.  However, the specification of the glass in relation to security also needs to be taken into account. 

Any free-standing edges of glazed screens should have a strip contrasting in colour and luminance with the surroundings against which they are seen. 

9.2.2. Location and Design of Signs and Information (Page 51) 

Signs associated with a control panel should be located between 900mm and 1200mm above floor level to meet the needs of people sitting in a wheelchair and people standing. 

Special Notes:   

For the first time Building Regulations Part M, published 5^th November 2003, has the BS 8300 information included as part of "Best Practise".  This refers to BS 8300 throughout and items such as strong colour contrast for manifestation at adult and wheelchair user height is emphasised.  Part M Building Regs has a 10 year rule allowing buildings to remain as per the previous Part M.  However, because BS 8300 was not part of the previous Part M the 10 years will not apply to that.  Therefore buildings and those responsible will have a requirement to make changes in line with BS 8300.  Building Regulations Part M will be in full force and effect from 1^st May 2004.

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