The European Concept For Accessibility 2003

3.4 Public Buildings

Buildings owned by government agencies, or by the private sector, which house services for the public will, at one time or another, have to be used by the whole population. Therefore, they should be totally accessible. Furthermore, any qualified person, regardless of his/ her physical capabilities, should be able to apply for a job within such buildings. It is, therefore, essential that the whole building, not just those areas used by the public, are accessible (corridors, toilets, offices, etc.). Aspects which should be taken into consideration are:

- Entrance: access should be at street level or, where this is not possible, a ramp with a gentle slope should be installed. Alternative entry points should, as far as possible, be avoided, being resorted to only under special circumstances (for example, during building work or when the appearance of a building of historic or artistic value would be damaged).

- Information about the layout of the building: A map should be located in the entrance lobby showing the layout of the building, the number of floors, the floor on which the visitor is viewing the map, location of lifts, stairways, ramps, emergency exits, etc.

- Information about the layout of services: In addition to the layout map referred to above, there should be another map showing the services which are available, the number of the floor they are to be found on, the office or window number, general information board, etc.

- Access to the different areas:

• Accessible lifts

• Ramps with a gentle slope.

• Corridors which are wide enough to enable the various users to pass one another.

• Office doors should be wide enough to enable anybody to pass through them and their position should be such as to allow wheelchairs to be manoeuvred.

- Toilets: There should be enough accessible toilets in each floor with space for wheelchair users, alarm systems and in which all the devices are accessible for people of different heights and manoeuvring capabilities. Baby-changing facilities must also be provided.

- Evacuation in an emergency: There are times when lifts cannot be used, either because it is not advisable (fires) or because they are not working (power cut). Therefore, provision should be made for alternative escape routes and fire shelters. It is essential that everybody in the building at such times should realise there is an emergency, regardless of their capabilities (luminous and acoustic alarms) and where they are (in the toilets, offices, corridors, cafeteria, lifts, etc.).

- Signs: informative signs (logos, direction arrows, etc.) should be clear and describe the service which they represent (avoid new designs that create confusion, and the use of letters or initials). Signs designed to inform visually-impaired people should also be installed.

- Lighting should be bright enough for everyone and should be located in such a way that it can be used to guide people along different routes through the building.

- Walls should be free of obstacles so that blind people can use them as a guide.

- Unnecessary dangerous elements: certain decorative elements may be dangerous if they are not well designed, installed or indicated:

Large mirrors or glass windows that give the space a sense of continuity.

Waxed floors which are easy to slip on.

Infra-red doors which do not function unless the person is of a certain height.

Rugs which are not fixed to the floor.

Counters for dealing with the public which have edges jutting out.

Reflecting surfaces or floors with drawn floor tiles that can give the illusion that there is a drop in levels.

- In the design of spaces, other aspects should be taken into consideration such as catering for people who suffer from allergies for whom buildings have to be equipped with a pollen and bacteria-free air system and separate smoking areas.

- Private buildings dedicated to specific public activities such as cinemas, theatres, stadia, sport centres, hotels, etc. cater for leisure activities such as going to the cinema, museum, restaurant, or visiting shops or superstores, which form part of everyday life and, therefore, their accessibility requirements are the same as those of streets or buildings under public ownership.

- Historic buildings: Some administrations are reluctant to adapt historic buildings, arguing that improvements that provide accessibility will damage the heritage. If a castle or a palace remained as it was built, without toilets or electricity and was only used for archaeological purposes, the argument for damage to the heritage would be acceptable. But if, on the contrary, the building has a civic use and, therefore, electricity and toilets have already been installed, there is no reason to avoid the improvement of accessibility, providing that the original design is respected and the modifications produced underlined. In this way, everybody would be allowed to enjoy historical heritage

Cinemas should provide space for wheelchairs, an induction loop system that enables sound to be transmitted in FM and a dialogue system for visually-impaired people.

All public events should provide simultaneous translation and sign language.

- Museums: everybody should be able to follow the same route around the building and so all the works of art should be in accessible places and information should be provided in visual, acoustic or tactile format, depending on the contents of the exhibition.

- Shops: everybody should be able to look at the goods on display and read the price tag without difficulty. Changing rooms In clothes stores should be totally accessible.

- Restaurants, bars and cafes: it would be useful to carry out an acoustic study in order to identify the most suitable building materials and layout for reducing noise levels and so create a more pleasant space.

- Sports centres, fairgrounds, stadiums, zoos, etc.: these facilities include external spaces where the aspects to be considered are the same as for the public highway and interior facilities where the aspects to be considered are the same as for public buildings.

- Hotels: There should be accessible toilets serving the common areas. There should be rooms with accessible doors, bed heights, showers and washbasins for all those who need to be assisted in the performance of daily activities.

To sum up, local and national government have to ensure that private initiatives take into account the diversity of the population, either by providing information to experts, or by making promoters and owners aware of the importance of integration and solidarity.