Design for Barrier Free Environment

Design
for
Barrier Free
Environment

Prepared by
Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan
Assistant Professor
Department of Architecture Department
---Ar. Shubhajitof Architecture
Sadhukhan
National Institute of Technology Patna National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Source: Barrier Free NZ Trust 2013

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Know What?

Accessible Journey

Approachability, Accessibility and Usability

Barrier Free and Universal Design

Universality of Disability

Community Advantage

Disability and The Built Environment

Usability Factor

Accessible Routes

Common Issues

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Accessible Journey

The concept of the “Accessible Journey” provides a comprehensive framework and

mechanism for creating barrier free and universally usable built environments
Address how effectively access requirements for people with disabilities have been
implemented.
The “Accessible Journey” is a theoretical path of travel that links the three primary
components of built environment design and construction

• transport systems deliver / pick-up people

• transport systems delivery / pick-up points connect to
public spaces and buildings
• public spaces connect to buildings
• buildings are entered where there is internal
connection to vertical movement in buildings

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Approachability, Accessibility and Usability

Approachability concerns the exterior environs of a building, including car

parking, and ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities can get to a
building without needing assistance

Accessibility ensures that everyone including people with disabilities can enter
and move about freely within a building without needing assistance

Usability means that the building and facilities are, in fact, usable by everyone
including people with disabilities without needing assistance.

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Approachability, Accessibility and Usability

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Barrier Free and Universal Design

“Universal design” is a term defined in the USA during the 1980s by Dr Ron Mace
as

“The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the

greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized
design”

It has an inclusive objective to ensure no one is physically excluded from use of any
built environment by unnecessary architectural or engineering barriers

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Barrier Free and Universal Design

Universal design has seven basic principles
1. Equitable use – the design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities
2. Flexibility in use – the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and
abilities
3. Simple and intuitive to use – use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the
user’s experience, knowledge, language skill or current concentration level
4. Perceptible information - the design communicates necessary information effectively to the
user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for error – the design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of
accidental or unintended actions
6. Low physical effort – the design can be used efficiently and effectively with a minimum of
fatigue
7. Size and space for approach and use - appropriate size and space is provided for approach,
reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture or mobility

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Universality of Disability

The best design provides for integrated, inclusive use by all users, rather than
people with disabilities being required to have segregated and separate use

Everyone is functionally disabled

at some point in their life

Source: Figure by Bengt Serenander from “Building for Everyone”, Mats Beckman, Davidsons
Bocktryckeri, Vaxjo, Sweden. 1976.

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Community Advantage

Source: Chris Booke-White

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Disability and The Built Environment

People with disabilities means people whose ability to be freely mobile or to access and
use buildings is affected by mental, physical, hearing or sight impairment, such as “:
An inability to walk
Walking difficulties
Reliance on walking aids
Partial sightedness or blindness
Hearing difficulties
Lack of coordination
Reaching disabilities
Lack of stamina
Difficulties in interpreting and reacting to sensory information
Extremes of size
Learning difficulties

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

What is a Barrier-Free Environment?

A space that allows free and safe movement, function and access for all, regardless
of age, sex or condition, a space or a set of services that can be accessed by all,
without obstacles, with dignity and with as much independence as possible

The environment means buildings, roads, parks, gardens and other places, service,
modes of transportation, products of daily use, etc.

Barrier Free Environment is one which enables people with disabilities to move
about safely and freely and to use the facilities within the built environment

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Who all face barriers?

List of people affected by barriers:
Wheelchair users
People with limited walking / movement abilities
People with visual impairment or low vision
People with hearing impairment
Elderly persons
Pregnant ladies
Children with temporary disabilities
People carrying heavy or cumbersome charge

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Problems with barriers

Barriers make an environment unsafe and cause a high level of difficulty to the
user
But more importantly, barriers cause space to be out of reach, denying people the
opportunity of participation in various spheres of life such as education, economic,
social, cultural and may be other activities
A barrier causes exclusion and its removal is necessary for ensuring inclusion and
participation of all in society

Accessibility for All

Today accessibility for all is recognized as a basic necessity and there are attempts
all over the world to ensure this
Barrier-free features are now becoming fundamental to all design concepts

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Guiding principle :Trip Chain

A typical trip consists of many links with different activities
For example, to be able to go from home to a working place, a person has:
• to go from home to sidewalk or pathway
• to enter in a vehicle
• to go out of the vehicle to sidewalks or pathways near the working place
• to reach the entrance of the building
• to enter the building
• to move around in the building
• to enter the office or other kind of place for work
• to reach the working station

If only one link is not accessible, then the journey becomes impossible
Each link must be considered and improved as necessary

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Guiding principle :Components

 to reach: Ramps
 to enter: Entrances
 to move around: Corridors, Elevators, Stairs and Signage, Sidewalk
 to use: Doors, Toilets, Operating Mechanisms and fixed features

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Type of Disabilities
Non-Ambulatory : Impairments that, regardless of cause or
manifestation, for all practical purposes, confine individuals to
wheel & chairs
Semi-Ambulatory : Impairments that cause individuals to walk
with difficulty or insecurity. Individual using braces or crutches,
amputees, arthritics, spastics &those with pulmonary &cardiac ills
may be semi-ambulatory.
Sight : Total blindness or impairments affecting sight to the extent
that the individual functioning in public areas is insecure or
exposed to danger.
Hearing : Deafness or hearing handicaps that might make an
individual insecure in public areas because he is unable to
communicate or hear warning signals

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Architectural Design Consideration

PUBLIC BUILDING
Ramps
Entrances
Corridors
Elevators and platform lifts
Stairs
Doors
Signage
Toilets
Operating mechanisms and fixed features

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Ramps
Planning Principles:
To provide ramps wherever stairs or changes in level obstruct the free passage of
pedestrians, mainly wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility

Design:
Location The ramp should be located in the continuation of the accessible pathway leading
to the entrance
Wherever stairs are also provided to reach the entrance, ideally, the ramp should
be adjacent to the stairs
Slope Maximum recommended slope of ramps is 5 %. Steeper slopes may be allowed
depending on the length to be covered

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

Ramps
Configuration Ramps can have different configurations: straight run, with 90° turn or with
switch back at 180° turn
Landing Area Ramps should be provided with landing areas (flat surface) for resting,
maneuvering and avoiding excessive speed
Landings should be provided every 10 m, at every change of direction and at
the top and the bottom of the ramp
The minimum length of the landing area is 1.40 m and the min. width has to be
equal to the width of the ramp

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna
 Design for Barrier Free Environment

To be continued…

Department of Architecture ---Ar. Shubhajit Sadhukhan

National Institute of Technology Patna