In our everyday lives, those of us who are able-bodied may
take for granted, the ease in which we can get around. From moving about our homes, parking our
cars, shopping for clothes, or eating in a restaurant, we are able to use our
faculties, for the most part, without pause.
For millions of people, however, it is not so easy. Some have to rely on a wheelchair, cane or
other device to get around. Others may
have trouble with their eyesight or hearing.
While still, many have trouble just opening a door because of their
arthritis. As architects, we have a responsibility to design spaces that anyone
can navigate and use, regardless of their circumstance.
There are several texts, such as the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards of Accessible Design, and the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1, that establish the minimum
requirements in which all new construction and altered facilities are required
to comply. While private residences,
which fall under the R-3 Occupancy Type of the International Building Code,
such as single family homes, are not mandated under these supplemental
regulations, all other structures that contain sleeping or dwelling units must
conform. I personally believe that we
will see new single family homes become more barrier-free friendly in the near
future.
In all applications, the goal is to make the components of a
building easier to use for someone needing assistance. Doors, for example, have minimum clearances
that must be provided depending on which direction the person is approaching
from and if they are pushing or pulling the door open. The door must be equipped with lever type
hardware that does not require someone to grasp and turn the handle, as such
with a knob. It must also be able to be
opened by using no more than 8 ½ lbs of force, for an exterior door and no more
than 5 lbs for an interior door.
The codes also
require that toilet and bathing facilities are accommodating to those needing
assistance, especially those who use a wheelchair. The rooms themselves need to be large enough
to allow someone in a wheelchair to have the clearances at the toilet and sink
to maneuver their apparatus without obstructions. Grab bars are also regulated as to location
and height to best assist a person transferring from their chair to the water
closet or into/out of a bath tub or shower.
Accessibility design does not just lend itself to
accommodating those with physical disabilities.
There are requirements, such as with signage, which assist those with
visual impairments. For spaces that
require signage by their entrance, such as toilet rooms, stairs, elevators and
exits, the characters of the room names must be of a certain height, text style
and width. Braille must also be present
on the sign and it too, has criteria for size and position. It is very common
to see signage with a pictogram, or universal symbol or picture, to be placed
near toilet rooms and stairs.
Providing accessible means is also a requirement outside of
the building envelope. JL Architects has
worked in the past providing services that required the team to ensure
sidewalks, exterior ramps and stairs, and parking spaces all met the minimum
standards that allow patrons to access a building. For example, a ramp, whether exterior or
interior, in most cases, may not have a running slope steeper than 1:12 and may
not rise higher than 30 inches. What
this translates to, is that for every 1 inch in height a ramp must rise, it
must be 12 inches in length (or run). So, a ramp that needs to rise 4 inches, must have
a run of 48 inches in length. The higher the rise, the longer the run. This can eat up a lot of space and may result
in the need to install a lift or elevator, if the required area is not
available.
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| Ramp at Wyly Theater in Dallas |
Currently, JL Architects is working on a multi-family
apartment building in Madison, New Jersey.
Each unit, including common areas, sidewalks to the building, as well as
parking, must meet the minimum requirements for accessibility. In addition to standard regulations, the
State of New Jersey has additional requirements for barrier-free
construction. The State of Texas also
uses their own Accessibility Standards and has inspectors tour the facilities
to check for compliance. In all of our commercial work, be it retail, office or
restaurant, designing for accessible means is always in the front of our
minds. While in the broad scope it may
assist those with physical impairments, it winds up being a benefit to
all. As a mother of four, I can
appreciate the barrier-free accommodations while pushing around a stroller with
my two-year old!
I have only mentioned a few components that make up the much
larger scope of designing spaces with accessible accommodations, to list them
all, the blog would become a book (and there are already several)! Even if you are able-bodied, you may know
someone who is impaired, or may someday benefit from its advantages; I truly
believe that barrier-free design is a great service for the masses. If you would like to learn more about
accessible standards select the following link and click the left hand side of
the page to view. http://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_index.htm
- Melanie Hicks
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