Access agony clinic
Photographic face board My company manages an amusement park area on a seafront. We are constructing a face board, with a hole where visitors can put their faces and have photographs taken. How can we make it accessible? Brenda says: The face board is a great idea
Peer support: access consultant’s query Does anyone have a suggestion on how to deal with large oak handrails to a staircase in a listed building, which are too low (750mm) and too wide (150mm) for an easy grip? This staircase is the main central staircase and is located within an imposing lobby. Most visitors would use this staircase to get to the hall on first floor. The architects say that there is a lift adjacent to the stairs for visitors who cannot use the handrails and the heritage body would not like the handrails removed or modified. I would not like to disturb the existing handrail which is very beautiful, but I do not think it provides acceptable access. Do you think it is justified to place a second smaller handrail at a higher level supported from the side of the stairs, or is there any other solution? Trevor Huckle, Partner at Ingleton Wood LLP responds: This is not an easy ‘nut to crack’ and it pains me to conclude that probably what you are looking for is unreasonable in the circumstances that you describe. You do not say what the building is used for, so assuming that it is open to the public, in my opinion
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Access by Design Issue 124
to allow people to take on other personalities. First of all you need to have face holes at different levels to allow adults and children of different heights to place their faces through the holes. You may also consider installing two grabrails at one or more of the holes, so that ambulant disabled people can support themselves while getting photographed.
For wheelchair users, it is slightly trickier as you need to provide them with knee space so that they can face the holes directly rather than having to twist sideways. Wheelchair users require a 500mm deep kneespace which should be 700mm high, so the board would have to be shaped to accommodate this. You will need to use your imagination to create a suitable outer image – perhaps someone who is seated.
it would not be reasonable to install another handrail if there is an alternative means of access. Is there a reason why an individual would need to go upstairs to receive the services or goods on offer?
flight by simply adjusting where one holds on, assuming that one can obtain a grip. In fact we all do this subconsciously anyway, with taller people holding on slightly back in their stance and shorter people slightly forward while climbing the stair and the reverse when descending. It is just the foot and head of the stair that causes the most concern with the transfer to and from the landing. That is where the height is more critical. What you can do will depend on the overall aesthetics and design of the staircase, but with the heritage body saying no, ultimately they would have the final say. Often there is an inferior, more domestic type staircase that might be more suitable to adapt and the heritage body might accept works to that which could be your solution. That would enable you to meet the occupier’s legal liability and your professional advice can be adopted while maintaining the architectural heritage of the principal staircase.
If there were suitably trained staff available to assist those who for some reason could not use the lift and needed assistance in using the stair, that would satisfy the requirements of the Act. As far as inclusion is concerned in historic buildings one always has to take a view. I believe particularly with heritage barriers to access one needs to consider the proportion of people who cannot gain access. So in this case those who cannot gain adequate support from the handrail and cannot use the lift. Often in historic buildings the principal stair is a feature sometimes with stair treads so wide and deep that a walking frame, crutches or walking stick can be used quite easily on the staircase and still leave room for others to pass as required. On a staircase it is possible to hold the handrail at a comfortable height for most of the
I have put my head above the parapet and expect to be shot at, but that’s my opinion on the information provided.
If you have an access query, a photo of good or bad practice, or would like to share your views about something you’ve read in Access by Design, we’d love to hear from you Email: info@cae.org.uk Address: Centre for Accessible Environments, 70 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL.