Built Environment Accessibility

Introduction

Accessibility to the built environment affects a large number of people within society. It is accepted throughout the European Union that at any one time 15-20% of the population will have a significant level of disability of a temporary or permanent nature.

Engineers, planners, and designers have used Leonardo de Vinci’s ‘average man’ as a guideline for their work. It has become the basic model on which the majority of designs are based. Yet there is no such thing as the ‘average man’.

Another type of design that has been the main focus of designers and engineers in buildings is the ‘toilet and ramp’ approach and catering for wheelchair users. Features such as colour schemes, lighting, the absence of loop systems and poor acoustics had rarely been considered in the design process. As a result of this focus on designing to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities, the needs of the vast majority of people with other disabilities are being ignored in the design process.

Barriers faced by people with disabilities

Everyone requires equal consideration from those who commission, design, construct or manage buildings and the external environment. For example:

  • Someone who is short of breath or has a broken ankle will find stairs difficult or impossible;
  • A smooth circular doorknob will be very difficult to use if a person has poor grip;
  • Street furniture or bollards that do not contrast with the background are a hazard for people with poor vision;
  • Even a single step can deny entry to a person pulling a suitcase on wheels, or a person using a wheelchair.

Universal Accessibility

Universal accessibility is a key concept that states that all environments should be accessible by everyone, regardless of ability (University of Ulster, 2003). Everybody is different and there is no ‘average’ person. As a result universal accessibility will benefit all, because people with disabilities, people of small or tall stature, parents with buggies, delivery persons and so forth will have greater access to the built and external environments.

To ensure accessibility of the built environment is of the highest standard there are a number of essential criteria that need to be met. These are highlighted below with a brief description of some of their influencing factors:

  • Management - Access handbook, access and safety, responsibilities and commitment
  • Transport – Getting to the building, location, set down areas
  • External Environment - car parking, routes, ramps, steps and doors
  • Vertical and Horizontal Circulation - steps and stairs, lifts, corridors and internal doors
  • Facilities - reception, toilets, seating areas, changing rooms, restaurants and refreshments
  • Interior Design - lighting, colour and contrast, fixtures
  • Evacuation - emergency equipment, alarms, signage, evacuation equipment, evacuation plans
  • Communication Facilities - signage, telephones, tactile features, acoustics

Irish policy and legislation that affects accessibility of the Built environment

Accessibility of the built environment in Ireland for people with disabilities is mainly controlled by Part M of the Building Regulations (2000) entitled “Access for People with Disabilities". The underlying philosophy of Part M is to ensure that as far as is reasonable and practicable, buildings should be usable by people with disabilities. A Technical Guidance Document for Part M is also provided in three sections, which include access and use, sanitary conveniences and audience and spectator facilities.

There are also a number of Acts that provide a legislative framework for organisations to ensure that premises and services comply with minimum accessibility requirements. These include the Equal Status Act 2000, the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulations 1993. Also key national plans such as the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness 2000 and Sustaining Progress 2003 have promoted accessibility.

While the legislation covers the minimum, there is a need for engineers who wish to embrace the concept of universal access to look beyond the regulations. The promotion of best practice on accessibility in Ireland is encompassed in Building for Everyone (NDA, 2002) a best practice guideline, which aims to promote universal access to buildings and the external environment. Building for Everyone shows how to design, make and manage buildings and external environments for the inclusion, access and use of everybody. It is about how to ensure that everyone can make full use of buildings and environments they live in, work in and visit. The publication offers a vast range of ideas, which can be easily incorporated into design, management and construction.

Information/resources on built environment accessibility

Publications

NDA (2002) Building for Everyone. The National Disability Authority, Dublin.
The NDA has published a best practice guideline entitled Building for Everyone, which aims to promote universal access to buildings and the environment. Building for Everyone shows how to design, make and manage buildings and external environments for the inclusion, access and use of everybody.
Bright, K. and Di Giulio, R. (2002) Inclusive Buildings: Designing and Managing an Accessible Environment. Blackwell Science, London
Inclusive Buildings: Designing and managing an accessible environment is a CD ROM publication gives an extensive insight in how to design and manage the built environment. The CD is arranged under the following headings: user needs, building categories, functional elements, access audits and wayguidance systems.
Goldsmith, S. (2000) Universal Design Architectural Press, London
Universal Design suggests that experts in the field of accessibility continue to miss the point. It calls on designers and lawmakers to embrace access “for everyone” rather than looking at people with disabilities in isolation to others. Goldsmith discusses making buildings safe and convenient for all their users, including people with disabilities and provides a comprehensive list of guidelines for making these buildings accessible.
Centre for Accessible Environments (1999) Access Audits: A guide and checklists for appraising the accessibility of public buildings. Centre for Accessible Environments, United Kingdom.
Access audits has been published by the CAE as a guide and checklist for appraising the accessibility of public buildings. It provides the background data to ensure the auditor understands what details need to be considered in carrying out an audit and illustrates how to carry out an audit.
Barker, P., Barraick, J. and Wilson, R. (1995) Building Sight. Royal National Institute for the Blind, London.
Building sight is published to address the needs of people with visual impairments in the built environment. It is a handbook of building and interior design solutions to include the needs of visually impaired people and highlights their needs in a simple and practical way.
Sawyer, A., and Bright, K.T (2003) The Access Manual, auditing and managing accessible built environments. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
The Access Manual covers the design, improvement, maintenance and management of accessible environments. As a building designer or manager, it will show you how to provide and run buildings and services, and employment facilities to enable independent and convenient use by everyone.

Other relevant publications

  • Barker, P., and Fraser, J., (2000) Sign Design Guide. JMU Access Partnership and the Sign Design Society, UK.
  • Oxley, P. (2003) Inclusive Mobility. Department for Transport, UK. (www.mobility-unit.dft.gov.uk).
  • British Standards Institute (2001) Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of Practice. BSI, UK.
  • European Concept for Accessibility (2003) European Concept for Accessibility – technical Assistance Manual. ECA, Luxemburg.
  • EC Expert Group on Accessibility (2003) 2010: A Europe Accessible for All, European Commission for Employment and Social Affairs, Brussels.
  • Rees, L., and Lewis, C. (2003) Housing Sight. RNIB and JMU Access Partnership, UK
  • Building Commission (2002) Welcome design Ideas for Accessible Homes. Building Commission, Victoria, Australia

The list above only indicates some of the texts that are available for accessibility and the built environment. The NDA Library has an extensive range of other publications so why not check out the NDA Library Catalogue. If you require a book on loan please do not hesitate to contact the Library staff at 01-6080400 (ext 291) or email library@nda.ie.

Irish Websites

UK Websites

European Websites

International Websites

Page last updated: 01/12/2009