accessible entrance and automated doors - … design... · accessible entrance and automated doors...

Accessible Entrance and Automated Doors

Provided by the Rick Hansen Foundation Access & Inclusion Team

Below is a list of recommendations for your Barrier Buster project developed by our team of Accessibility

Specialists. These can add value to your project and help to ensure best practices in inclusive design.

We encourage to you to consider these Universal Design principles:

Ensure there is a level landing at entrance to provide a safe space to wait, enter and exit the

building.

If electric doors swing out, add door swing path marking to show people how far out the door will

open. This will allow people to move safely out of the way.

Add shelter from weather conditions (awning or architectural element), along with seating under

shelter by main entrance (perhaps allocate one of the planned benches) to ensure that seniors

visiting or people with mobility or visual impairments have a comfortable place to wait.

Ensure entrance is easily identified from rest of building (color, architectural element, flags, etc.),

so that people don’t need to walk longer distances than necessary and are not confused or

frustrated, or are required to ask for directions.

Add distinct aromatic plants at each entrance to provide wayfinding cue for people who are blind

or with vision impairment.

Ensure pedestrian pathway is accessible from designated parking to main entrance and includes

any necessary crosswalk markings and curb ramps.

Ensure there are no obstacles in pedestrian pathway for people with vision impairment and any

fixed furniture is cane detectable and painted with a contrasting color to the pathway or concrete

planters.

Automatic doors should ideally slide aside rather than swing in or out. With doors that swing

open towards the user, both audible and visual warnings should be given.

Clear instructions should be provided for any door fitted with a self-closing and opening or push button device in visual and tactile format.

A change of floor surface texture should be provided at the approach to self-activating doors.

Automatic doors should take at least three seconds to fully open from a closed position and should remain open for at least five seconds to allow safe entry and exit.

Doors should incorporate a safety stop which is activated if doors start to close as a person is passing through.

Doors should revert to manual control or failsafe in the open position in the event of a power failure.

When in an open position, doors should not project into any adjacent access route.

A door lock release should be situated at a height of between 900−1000mm and be clearly identifiable.

Entrance devices, e.g. push pads and card swipes, for automatic doors, should be located 900−1050mm above the finished floor level. Provision of an additional foot-activated push pad will facilitate people with restricted hand functions.

Ensure entrance doors to new buildings have clear opening of 1000mm.

Ensure existing building entrance doors are not less than 850mm.

Provide adequate clear space on both sides of doors.

Provide 600mm clear space adjacent to the handle-side of doors.

Incorporate vision panels into all entrance and entrance lobby doors.

Incorporate visually contrasting markings at two levels on all glazed doors and screens.

Entrance doors should visually contrast with adjacent surfaces so that they are easy to identify.

Include a highly contrasting strip on all edges of frameless glass doors.

Door protection should be provided to the lower 400mm of glass doors.

Wherever possible, the threshold should be flush with the external ground surface and internal floor finish.

Door entry controls or intercom systems should be clear of obstructions.

Ramp Installation

Provided by the Rick Hansen Foundation Technical Experts Panel and Access & Inclusion Team

Below is a list of recommendations for your Barrier Buster project, developed by our team of Accessibility

Specialists. These can add value to your accessibility improvement and help to ensure best practices in

inclusive design.


Slope of the ramp should be between 1:12 (8.33%) and 1:20 (5%). 1:20 (5%) is highly recommended.

Provide a wide colour-contrasted and slip-resistant strip equal to the width of the ramp.

Provide level landing on top and bottom.

Surface should be firm, stable, slip-resistance.

On ramps and landings that are not at grade or adjacent to a wall, edge protection should be

provided on all edges (either a curb with a minimum height of 100 mm, a raised barrier or rail

with its lower edge not more than 100 mm from the ramp or landing surface).

Illuminate ramp and landing surfaces to 150 lux.

Handrails should be colour-contrasted with surroundings.

At least one set of handrails should have a clear width between 920 mm and 1000 mm between the rails.

Provide horizontal extensions of the handrails beyond the top and bottom of the ramp at least 300 mm long; and returned to the post, floor, or wall.

Locate handrails on both sides of the ramp and continuously around intermediate landings.

Avoid curved ramps. Ramp slopes to be straight.

Plan for top and bottom landings to be 2400mm x 2400mm and intermediate landings 2000mm long (multiplied by) ramp width.

Note:

Handrail extensions at the top and bottom of ramps provide support and orientation for persons before they start using the ramp. The handrail extensions should be turned down or sideways so they do not create an obstacle.

The clear width between handrails is limited so that people who use wheelchairs can use both handrails to pull themselves up the ramp.

(Source: CSA B651-12)

Elevator Installation


Below is a list of recommendations for your Barrier Buster project developed by our team of

Accessibility Specialists. These can add value to your project and help to ensure best practices in

inclusive design.

We encourage you to consider these Universal Design principles:

Clear signage to easily locate elevator, including internationally recognized elevator symbol. Consider “blade” type signage to assist in wayfinding.

Elevator door should be contrasting color with the adjacent wall. Interior cabin floor should be a light color, contrasting with dark colored walls.

Clear space in front of elevator call buttons.

Audio and visual indication of elevator operation.

Braille and tactile characters adjacent to control panel buttons.

All facilities upstairs should be accessible (e.g. kitchen, offices, washrooms and sanctuary balcony).

Lift Installation




inclusive design.


Provide passenger lifts in preference to platform lifts, wherever possible.

Ensure lifts are clearly signed from building entrance and other key areas.

Install lifts with the size and capacity to suit building type and occupancy.

Ensure that all lifts are accessible, where more than one lift is provided.

Keep to recommended minimum internal dimensions of 1800mm x 1800mm

Incorporate clear door opening width of 950mm.

Ensure lift doors remain open for a minimum of eight seconds.

Design a lift door arrangement that is consistent and logical.

Include clear landing space of 1800mm x 1800mm.

Provide visual and tactile floor numbers at each landing.

Position landing and lift car controls within reach of all users.

Install control buttons that are easy to use.

Ensure the lift signaling system is both visual and audible.

Provide an emergency communication system that is suitable for all users.

Design lift interior to minimize glare and reflection.

Use even level of illumination of 100 lux.

Provide half-height mirror to rear wall.

Install handrails on all walls without doors.

Consider the provision of a tip-up seat.

Locate evacuation lifts in fire-resisting enclosure with independent electrical supply and

additional controls.

Accessible Washrooms




inclusive design.


Signage utilizes standardized symbols, raised lettering and Braille.

Automatic open door or screen wall in place of entry door

Floor surface is stable, firm and non-slip.

Sink and counter at recommended height with adequate space and safety.

Mirror, coat hook in stalls and other amenities at recommended heights and locations.

Hand dryers at convenient location and recommended heights or variable heights.

Automated fixtures and plumbing, or easy operating.

Provide grab bars at appropriate height and locations.

Emergency call button.

Toilet paper dispenser at appropriate height and location.

Toilets are a tank style or back support is provided.

Toilet flushing mechanisms are within easy reach.

Urinals are recommended heights or variable heights without a step.

Urinals are color contrasting with wall surface.

Adult change table that is height adjustable.

Source: CSA B651-12

Accessible Playground


Below is a list of recommendations for the construction of an inclusive and accessible playground,

developed by our team of Accessibility Specialists. These can add value to your project and help to ensure

best practices in inclusive design.

We encourage you to consider these Universal Design principles:

A more comprehensive approach to Universal Design would address items such as:

o What type of ground surface is the playground installed on?

o What are the wayfinding elements that would help with navigating the play area? Is

there a tactile map of the play area or equipment? Are color used to facilitate

wayfinding? Are smell and textures (via landscaping used to facilitate wayfinding)?

o Are there tactile indicators at play zones entries to help children find where they would

like to play?

o Is the equipment accessible by children from different heights?

o Is there sufficient space within and around the playground for wheelchair users to

maneuver?

o Is there enough extra space between play zones to prevent a child with a visual

impairment from accidentally entering a fall zone?

Regarding the selection of the playground equipment:

o Designing a horizontal playground which limit the number of elevated surfaces to a

minimum and mainly rely on individual components laid-out at grade.

o Using ‘crawl tunnels’ between transfer stations or with a slight slope to allow children

with limited mobility to move through the playground.

o Provide a variety of play opportunities rather than focus on one.

Spinning/ Sliding/ Rocking/ Swinging/ Climbing/ Crawling/ Strengthening/

Balancing/ Bouncing

o Using transfer steps instead of regular steps. These steps are lower in height and allow

people who cannot use their legs to move through elevation changes.

o Using ramps or the topography around the equipment as a way to allow wheelchair

bound children to experience the higher levels of the playground.

o Avoiding glossy materials which can confuse people with vision impairment.

o Providing high contrast hand grips.

o No open platforms as this is a high safety risk for children with vision impairments.

We recommend having a minimum of 50% of the play structure accessible via both ramp and

transfer stations, as well as the inclusion of sensory equipment and features.

Pathways surrounding the play structures should be wheelchair friendly, with more ground

features for interactive play along the way.

Surface that is level, stable, firm and slip-resistant.

Seating and shelter to allow caregivers and children to rest and relax, and to be protected from

sun and other weather elements, especially for people with limited mobility. Seating should

provide for variation of both armrests and no armrests.

Convenient and accessible pedestrian pathway to the playground from accessible parking, transit

stop and nearby accessible washrooms, to ensure that all aspects of the experience are easy and

safe.

Tactile indicators around playground equipment area to provide safe wayfinding for people who

have visual impairments.

Aromatic plants and tactile indicators on path borders to provide wayfinding to various areas

such as entrance and seating area for people who have visual impairment.

Picnic tables with accessible design to welcome people using wheelchairs.

Animal relief area for service dogs.

Accessible Trails




inclusive design.


Pathway has a clear width of at least 1500mm, ideally 2000mm to allow two people using wheelchairs or pushing baby strollers to pass.

No obstacles on path or overhead.

Sheltered seating at regular intervals and options provided with and without armrests.

Path is level or low grade slope (when not accommodated by ramp).

Provide handrails where possible on slope.

Signage should be clear and consistent, clearly visible and easy to understand. Clear signage with raised lettering, Braille and symbols.

Where maps are provided, they should illustrate path gradients highlighting steep paths and other challenges as well as seating and facilities.

Provide information in a range of formats.

Provide an alternative step-free viewing area where access to the main viewing point is difficult.

Provide information indicating the nature of routes and distances to viewing points.

Ensure suitable barriers are provided in elevated locations.

Considering use of aromatic plants to help with wayfinding (at beginning of trail and at viewpoints).

Spray Park


Below is a list of recommendations for your Barrier Buster project developed by our team of Accessibility


inclusive design.


Surface that is level, stable, firm and slip-resistant.

Seating and shelter to allow caregivers and children to rest and relax, and to be protected from

sun and other weather elements, especially for people with limited mobility. Seating should

provide for variation of both armrests and no armrests.

Convenient and accessible pedestrian pathway to the spray park from accessible parking, transit

stop and nearby accessible washrooms, to ensure that all aspects of the experience are easy and

safe.

Tactile indicators around spray park area to provide safe wayfinding for people who have visual

impairments.

Aromatic plants and tactile indicators on path borders to provide wayfinding to various areas

such as entrance and seating area for people who have visual impairment.

Picnic tables with accessible design to welcome people using wheelchairs.

Animal relief area for service dogs.

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