GUIDELINES AND SPACE

STANDARDS FOR PHYSICALLY

DISABLED

Submitted By:
BHARTI
RAHUL
SOM SEKHAR
SWATI
YASH
 INTRODUCTION
• 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.

• The goal of barrier free design is to provide an environment that

supports the independent functioning of individuals so that they can get
to, and participate without assistance, in every day activities such as
procurement of goods and services, community living, employment, and
leisure.

• The fundamental principles which have been followed in developing

standards / norms for various facilities to meet disabled people’s
standards for safety, convenience and usability. Barrier free design
standards should satisfy anyone who is hampered in his mobility or
functioning (as compared with a non- disabled person) as a result of
obstacles put in his way by the design of a building, the choice of
hardware and equipment, and the arrangement of outside space.
 OBJECTIVE
•- The main objectives of the “Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities,
Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1996 enacted by the Government of
India on January 1, 1996 are to create barrier free environment for persons with
disabilities and
•to make special provisions for thejntegration of persons with disabilities into the
social mainstream.

-It enjoins upon the governments and local authorities to ensure within their
economic capacity provision for installation of auditory signals at red lights in the
public roadsforthe benefit of persons with visual handicaps, kerbs and slopes to be
made in pavements for the easy access of wheel chair users, devising appropriate
symbols of disability and warning signals at appropriate places.

-In regard to non-discrimination in the built environment, provisions have been made
in this Act for ramps in public buildings, adaptation of toilets for wheel chair
users,Braille symbols and auditory signals in elevators.
-In order to create a barrier free environment in consonance with the provisions of
the Act, the Government of India (Ministry of Urban Affairs & Employment) is
currently engaged in the process of amending/modifying the existing building bye-
laws which would be applicable to all buildings and facilities used by the public.

-The primary objective of this report is to frame guidelines for non-ambulant (chair
bound), semi-ambulant (lower limb Impairments), visual, and hearing disabled
persons.

•- This construction and maintenance standard should be followed in all categories

of buildings and facilities used by the public for making accessible to and functional
for physically disabled persons.

•- Building types to which the recommendations may be applied for are residential
buildings other than domestic buildings, commercial buildings, industrial buildings,
health care institutions, educational establishments, community and religious
centres agricultural and transport facilities.
 Type of Disabilities
Various disabilities which have been considered
while preparing the guidelines for barrier free
built environment are broadly classified under
four categories:

1. Non-Ambulatory : Impairments that, regardless of cause or

manifestation, for all practical purposes, confine individuals to
wheel & chairs.

2. 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.
3. Sight : Total blindness or impairments affecting
sight to the extent that the individual
functioning in public areas is insecure or
exposed to danger.

4. Hearing : Deafness or hearing handicaps that might

make an individual insecure in public areas
because he is unable to communicate or
hear warning signals.
 MOBILITY DEVICES
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adequate space for persons using mobility devices:
• Adequate space should be allocated for persons using mobility
devices, e.g. wheelchairs, crutches and walkers, as well as those
walking with the assistance of other persons.

• The range of reach (forward and side; with or without obstruction)

of a person in a wheelchair should be taken into consideration .

• Attention should be given to dimensions of wheelchairs used locally.

Standard size of wheel chair has been taken as 1050mm x 750mm
(as per ISI).
STRUCTURE OF WHEEL CHAIR AND
NAME OF EACH PART (standard)
 Maximum touch reach-600

Maximum grasp reach-500

For crutches, there should

be minimum 900 mm
obstruction free space for
movement.
CONTROLS
• For locking and opening controls for
window and doors should not be
more than 1400mm from the finished
floor usable by one hand.
• Switches for electric light and power
as well as door handles and other
fixtures and fittings should be
between 900 mm - 1200 mm from
finished floor.
• Power point for general purpose
should be fixed between 400-500 mm
from the
finished floor.
TYPICAL DIMENSIONS FOR ESSENTIAL USES WITHIN EASY REACH
RANGE OF REACH
• A wheelchair user’s movement pivots around his or her shoulders.
Therefore, the range of reach is limited, approximately 630 mm for
an adult male.
• While sitting in a wheelchair, the height of the eyes from the floor
is about 1190 mm for an adult male.

• A wheelchair has a footplate and leg rest attached in front of the seat. (The
footplate extends about 350 mm in front of the knee).
• The footplate may prevent a wheelchair user from getting close enough to an
object.
• A wheelchair has a footplate and leg rest attached in front of the seat.
(The footplate extends about 350 mm in front of the knee).
• The footplate may prevent a wheelchair user from getting close
enough to an object.
a . Manually operated equipment must be designed to be easily
accessible from a wheelchair.
b . Make sure that the coin slots of vending machines etc. are located
no higher than 1200 mm.
C. Allow a space at least 350 mm deep and 700 mm high under a
counter, stand, etc.
Construction and Maintenance Standards
SPECIAL NEEDS FOR THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES:-
With regard to the design guidelines the special needs of the persons with
disabilities for construction of built environment are as follows.
A. NON-AMBULATORY DISABILITIES
Persons restricted on wheel chair should use the facilities within the built
environment alone without a helper’s assistance.
Wheelchair Users
A wheelchair may be operated by the user alone or with a helper’s assistance.
However, wheelchair design must assume that the user should be able to operate
the wheelchair without help.
The width and length of the wheel chair, its control and the diameter of the casters
decide the following:
Width of entrances and exists (clear 900mm
Width of the passage / corridor (min. 900mm )
Slope of the climbing (min. ramp slope 1:12)
Passing over different levels and grooves (Grating with narrow slots in the
direction of movement and level difference to limit to 2cm or less)
Range of reach
Transferring from wheel chair (adequate space is required to transfer from
wheel chair to toilet seat and bed
B. SEMI-AMBULATORY DISABILITIES
Persons in this category who use walking aids such as crutches or canes, who are
amputees, who have chest ailments or heart disease.
The persons in this category
include those who can not walk without a cane and those who have some trouble in
their upper or lower limbs although they can walk unassisted.

Design requirements:
• Width of passage for crutch users (min. 900 mm)
• Finishes of floor surface with non slip floor material.
• Installation of handrail to support the body weight
at the critical places e.g. staircase, toilet, ramp,
passage with a change of level (800-850 mm).
• Extension of handrail on the flat landing at the top
and bottom of the stairs (300mm).
• To prevent slipping off the cane or crutch from the
side of the stairs or ramps (20mm high lip on the
exposed edge).
To prevent a cane or crutch tip from slipping off the
side of the stairs or ramp, install a 20 mm high lip on the exposed edge.
C. SIGHT DISABILITIES
Persons with impaired vision
• Persons in this category are totally blind or with impaired vision.
• Visually impaired persons make use of other senses
such as hearing or touch to compensate for the lack of vision.
• It is necessary to give instructions accessible through the
sense of touch(hands, fingers or legs).
• While walking with a white cane to spot their feet near the
tip of the cane the persons may bump his or her head or
shoulder against protruding objects.
• Persons with limited vision may be able to discriminate
between dark and bright shades and difference in primary
colors.

Design requirements
Use of guiding blocks for persons with impaired vision to guide them within the
buildings and facilities and out side the building.
* Installation of information board in braille.
* Installation of audible signage (announcements)
* Removal of any protruding objects and sufficient walking space for safe walking.
* For persons with limited vision use of contrasting color arrangements.
D. HEARING DISABILITIES
Persons with impaired hearing
Persons in this category are totally deaf or have difficulty in
hearing. They generally use their sight to gather information in
public places.

Design requirements:
* Provision of information board in an easily understandable
manner.
* Provision of illuminated signage, layout diagrams to help the
persons easily reach the desired place.
 Min. Access Provisions Required in Various Types of Buildings
Type of Building Minimum Provisions

Single detached, single dwelling A minimum of 2 per cent of the total

units. number of units to be constructed with
barrier-free features. (Adoptable Units)
Staff housing, multiple dwelling and high A minimum of 1 unit for every 25, plus
rise residential units and tenements 1 additional unit for every 100 units
thereafter. Entrances and exits to be
accessible.
Tenement houses, row houses, A minimum of 1 unit for up to 150 units,
apartments and town houses. and a minimum of 1 additional unit for
every 100 units thereafter to be
accessible.
Post offices, banks and financial A minimum of 1 lowered service
service institutions counter on the premises.
A minimum of 1 lowered automatic
teller machine (ATM) / cash
disbursement point on the premises.
Stamp vending machine.
Type of Building Minimum Provisions

Shop houses and single- storey shops Accessible shopping area.

Places of worship * Places of worship Entrances and exits

and main area of worship to be
accessible:
Mosques: access to area for ablutions;
Churches: access to confessionals,
fonts and chapels;
Temples: access to shrines and
courtyards.
Food centers A minimum of 1 table without stools or
seats attached to the floor for every
10 tables.
A minimum of 2 tables without stools
or seats attached to the floor for the
whole premises.
Accessible entrance
Type of Building Minimum Provisions

Community centres, village halls, Accessible entrances, exists, aisles and

auditoria, concert halls, assembly halls, main community or public
cinemas, theatres and other places of gathering areas.
public assembly. Accessible toilet facilities should be
Nearby.
Seating for persons with disabilities to
be accessible from main entrances
and lobbies.
Various seating/viewing choice to be
provided for persons in wheelchairs
throughout the main seating area.
A minimum of 2 wheelchair spaces for
seating capacity up to 100 seats.
A minimum of 4 wheelchair spaces for
seating capacity from over 100 to 400
seats.
20
Site Planning
To accommodate the handicapped and elderly people each building and its site
should be planned and designed as an integral unit from the very beginning of
the design process.

WALKS AND PATHS

* Walkway should be constructed with a non-slip material & different from rest
of the area.
* The minimum walk way width should be 1200 mm and for moderate two way
traffic it should be 1650 .mm - 1800 mm.
* When walks exceed 60 Meter in length it is desirable to provide rest area
adjacent to the walk at convenient intervals with space for bench seats. For
comfort the seat should be between 350 mm - 425 mm high but not over 450
mm.
• Texture change in walk ways adjacent to seating will be
desirable for blind persons. Guiding block at the starting of
walkway & finishing of the walkway should be provided.
Guiding block-can be of red chequered tile,
smooth rubble finish, prima regina,
Naveen tiles or any other material
with a different texture as
compared to the rest of the area.

• It can be difficult to move a wheelchair

if a caster is caught in a groove.
a. It is desirable that there is
no difference in level. (If a difference
is unavoidable, limit it to 20 mm or less.)
b. Round off or bevel the edge.
 PARKING

• Parking :- For parking of vehicles of handicapped people the

following provisions shall be made:
• Surface parking for two care spaces shall be provided near
entrance for the physically handicapped persons with maximum
travel distance of 30 M from building entrance.
• The width of parking bay shall be minimum 3.60 Meter.
 Approach to Plinth Level

Approach to plinth level : Every building should have at least one entrance
accessible to the handicapped. This entrance shall be approached through a ramp
together with the stepped entry.

Ramped Approach : Ramp shall be finished with non slip material to enter the
building. Minimum width of ramp shall be 1800 mm. with maximum gradient 1:12,
length of ramp shall not exceed 9.0 M having double handrail at a might of 800 and
900 mm.
Prevent the installation of steep ramps.
Provide a flat surface 1500 mm or more in length at the top and bottom of the
ramp for a wheelchair to pause and prevent it from going out of control.
Stepped Approach :- For stepped approach size of tread shall not be less
than 300 mm. and maximum riser shall be 150 mm.
Provision of 900 mm high hand rail on both sides of the stepped approach
similar to the ramped approach.
Corridor connecting the entrance/exit for the
handicapped:-
The corridor connecting the entrance/exit for handicapped leading directly
outdoors to a place where information concerning the overall use of the
specified building can be provided to visually impaired persons either by a
person or by signs, shall be provided as follows:
a) ‘Guiding floor materials’ shall be provided or devices that emit sound to
guide visually impaired persons.
b) The minimum width shall be 1500 mm.
c)In case there is a difference of level slope ways shall be provided with a
slope of 1:12.
 Lifts :-
Wherever lift is required as per bye-laws, provision of at least one lift shall be made for
the wheel chair user with the following cage dimensions of lift recommended for
passenger lift of 13 persons capacity by Bureau of Indian Standards.
Clear internal depth : llOOmm.
Clear internal width : 2000 mm.
Entrance door width : 900 mm.

a) A hand rail not less than 600 mm. long at 800-1000 mm. above floor levelshall be
fixed adjacent to the control panel.
b)The lift lobby shall be of an inside measurement of 1800 x 1800 mm. or more.
c) The time of an automatically closing door should or minimum 5 seconds and
the closing speed should not exceed 0.25 M/ Sec.
 Toilet
One special W.C. in a set of toilet shall be provided for the use of handicapped
with essential provision of wash basin near the entrance for the handicapped.
* The minimum size shall be 1500 x 1750 mm.
* Minimum clear opening of the door shall be 900 mm. and the door shall
swing
out.
* Suitable arrangement of vertical/horizontal handrails with 50 mm. clearance
from wall shall be made in the toilet.
* The W.C. seat shall be 500 mm. from the floor.