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Assessment for accessibility in housing settlements
Building and Environment 36 (2001) 657–666
www.elsevier.com/locate/buildenv
Assessment for accessibility in housing settlements Isil Hacihasanoglu∗ , Orhan Hacihasanoglu Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Received 18 October 1999; received in revised form 17 January 2000; accepted 22 May 2000
Abstract This study introduces a progressive assessment based on control lists of di0erent accessibility criteria to 1t adaptability to wheelchair users in housing environments. Assessment for accessibility in housing settlements has four di0erent levels of study. Every study level covers some criteria for accessibility in related spaces, environments or building elements. General settlement criteria, criteria related with near environment of buildings, criteria for lateral and vertical circulation, and criteria for usage in space are considered in this study. A case study has been applied in a mass housing settlement in Istanbul. The mass housing settlement has been evaluated by the c 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. assessment model as to whether it is suitable to adapt to wheelchair users or not. Keywords: Accessibility; Handicapped; Housing
1. Introduction The person with a disability is two times handicapped. First, he is handicapped because he does not physically have the capacity that others have. Second, he is handicapped because he is known as handicapped by others. Therefore disabled people need help from architects, help in the planning of the houses they live in, as well as, the design and organization of the buildings they use for work, education, recreation and so on. They need opportunities to participate in the busy life of the world, to be involved, to engage in the same sort of a0airs as the non-handicapped. The aim of this study is to determine a progressive assessment model on the adaptability of existing housing settlements to wheelchair users. This study had been limited to the accessibility of the wheelchair-bound. However, the criteria for accessibility of wheelchair users may also be suitable to other handicapped people. If the question, “What can be done to make ordinary housing more suitable for wheelchair users and other disabled people?” is put, the facile response is likely to be ‘just make it a little bit larger’ [1]. The matter, though, is not as simple as de1ned in this sentence. There are many factors and criteria for adapting a house for the handicapped, especially for wheelchair users. ∗
Corresponding author.
The General Council of United Nations gives the de1nition of a handicapped as: “A person is de1ned as handicapped if he or she, unlike the non-handicapped individual, is unable to perform some task which is ordinarily performed by the individual in social life” [2]. On the other hand, the wheelchair-bound handicapped is a person who cannot walk on his feet but must be transported with the aid of a wheelchair for a limited time or for all his life. The wheelchair-bound may have di0erent independence requirements in their di0erent life terms and ages; however, there are also di0erences in terms of the levels of independence of handicapped people when compared to the levels of independence of the non-handicapped. These di0erences occur since the barriers for healthy people are social and ethical while, on the other hand, the handicapped also face physical barriers.
2. Assessment model for adapting existing housing to wheelchair users The structure of this study is based on control lists obtained from criteria derived from standards and norms of di0erent countries at di0erent levels. The adaptability opportunities of existing housing settlements to wheelchair users are evaluated in di0erent levels. The criteria for wheelchair users in the assessment for accessibility in
c 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 0360-1323/01/$ - see front matter PII: S 0 3 6 0 - 1 3 2 3 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 4 1 - X
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housing settlements may be listed as below: (a) (b) (c) (d)
General settlement criteria. Criteria related to near environment of buildings. Criteria for lateral and vertical circulation. Criteria for space usage.
The four groups of criteria start from those for the general settlement and end with rooms as micro spaces. The most important concept in obtaining control lists at di0erent levels for adapting existing houses to suit wheelchair users is equal accessibility. Good accessible design starts with equal access, not by adding an accessible entrance at the rear while the front entrance remains inaccessible [3]. Therefore, the following progressive criteria used for evaluating the adaptability of existing housing environments to wheelchair users have been carefully designed to 1t the equal access concept. This approach must also be considered in the application of the assessment model to di0erent cases. 2.1. Criteria for general settlement The most important criteria for mass housing settlements include the accessibility of wheelchair users from public transportation vehicles or their cars to buildings and from buildings to buildings and also from buildings to other facilities in open spaces without encountering any stairs or high-inclining ramps. Pedestrian roads in the housing settlements have to be 120 –165 cm in width to be easily used by wheelchair users. Bus stops and pedestrian crossings and pedestrian roads and pedestrian crossings between bus stops and buildings in all crossroads have to be planned. The inclination of all pedestrian roads must not exceed 5 or 6% while the inclination of sidewalk ramps may not exceed 8.3% or 1=12, as indicated in Table 1. In general, access to transportation facilities through the site and to the buildings should be smooth and free of barriers; paved surfaces should be hard and relatively smooth, sidewalks should be ramped cuts, walks should be suMciently wide to accommodate two-way traMc [4]. There are important elements for designing ramps to overcome sidewalks serving as a barrier: (1) The height of sidewalks must not exceed 16 cm, which is the normal height of a step. This dimension varies between 4 and 14 cm in German norms. The height of sidewalks must decrease to 0 –3 cm in pedestrian crossings [5]. (2) Divided or stepped sidewalks are diMcult to use for wheelchair users. Sidewalk ramps have to be organized on the crossroads and around the junction of important roads. (3) Di0erent groups of materials are sometimes used for surfaces of walkways. Soft materials such as crushed rock, earth, lawn-grass, river rock, soil cement and
tanbark are not suitable to wheelchair activities. The second type of materials includes variable surfaces and materials such as cobble stones, exposed aggregate, Oagstones, sand-laid brick, wood disks in sand. These types of materials cause irregular surfaces and make movement diMcult for wheelchairs. The third type of material group includes hard surface material such as asphalt, concrete, tile–brick in concrete. Hard surface materials yield 1rm and regular surfaces for walking and moving wheeled vehicles [4]. 2.2. Criteria for near environment of houses Criteria for near environment of housing blocks cover the approach to the entrance of the buildings and the comfortable entrance by wheelchair users to buildings. There are three di0erent groups of criteria for near environments of the buildings beginning from open spaces to entrance of the buildings. These groups are: 1. Parking spaces, 2. Entrance ramps. 3. Entrance doors of housing blocks. 2.2.1. Parking spaces Three percent of open parking spaces have to be reserved for the car parking of handicapped people [6]. At least two car-park spaces in every parking lot have to be reserved for cars of handicapped people. Parking spaces for the handicapped have to be located nearest to entrance doors of buildings [7]. The distance between parking and entrance of building should be less than 100 m if there are eaves, less than 50 m if there are no eaves [8]. The width of parking space for a handicapped person’s car has been determined as a minimum space of 3– 4 m long for getting out of the car and as a turning space for the wheelchair. However, this dimension could be recommended as 3.5 m or 3.70 m ideally. There has to be a signboard in the parking lots indicating that parking spaces have been reserved for the cars of handicapped people. Eaves are recommended to protect handicapped people from rain, snow or direct sun while they are getting in or out of their car in parking spaces. Wheelchair users must reach the nearest sidewalk by using suitable ramps and walkways. 2.2.2. Entrance ramps Entrance ramps connect the entrance doors of the building blocks to parking spaces or walkways. The inclination of entrance ramps must not exceed 1=12 or 8.3% [4]. The length of a ramp that does not have a landing must not exceed 9.5 m. The minimum width of a ramp is 91.5 cm. There has to be a landing, which is 155 cm in length at the beginning and at the end of the ramps. A warning must be provided at the beginning of ramps. Ramps should be
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Table 1 Control list for general settlementa Place
Solution–control
Case study scores
General settlement
Spaces for waiting and getting into bus=bus stops in suitable places Not encountering high-inclining ramps and any type of stairs
+ ◦
Walkways
Suitable ramp inclination (5 – 6%) Hard, little jointed, non-slip surface materials Suitable width of walkways: 120 –165 cm
◦ + ◦
Sidewalk
Sidewalk ramp inclination 8.3% (1=12) Sidewalk width 120 –165 cm Sidewalk ramps have to be placed near junctions or pedestrian crossings Double (divided) or stepped sidewalks are not to be used Maximum height of the sidewalk has to be 14 cm Most suitable characteristics of surface-covering materials are: hard, little jointed and non-slip
◦ ◦ ◦ + ◦ +
Pedestrian crossing
Use suitable sidewalk ramps (inclination 8.3%) or obtain a sidewalk height of 0 –3 cm in pedestrian crossings Indicate pedestrian crossing with lines or texture
◦
a (+)
◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
designed to carry a live load of 100 lbs per square foot [4] (this equals approximately 500 kg=m2 ). Ramps should be illuminated to an average maintained high level, which ensures their safe use in darkness. Landings for ramps should be provided. The surface of the ramps should be covered by non-slip materials. There has to be a minimum of 5 cm height for the border on the edge of ramps. Dimensions of landings in ramps must not be smaller than the width of the ramps. The landings of ramps should have a minimum of 100 –120 cm length [7]. If ramps change direction in landings then the dimension of the landing must be a minimum of 155 × 155 cm. Balustrades must be provided in ramps, which either have 183 cm length or 15 cm or more height. The height of the balustrade must be between 76 and 86 cm for its use by a wheelchair-bound handicapped [7].
2.3. Criteria for lateral and vertical circulation of housing blocks
2.2.3. Building entrances and entrance doors An entrance platform has to be designed for every housing block. The Ooor surface of this platform should be hard, non-slip and well illuminated. Doormats should not be used at entrances. If it is not possible then a hard doormat should be chosen and placed so that its upper part is at the same level as the Ooor covering material [7]. The height of entrance doors should not be less than 91.5 cm. Thresholds should not be placed in the doors. If there is a requirement for making thresholds then its height should not exceed 1.9 cm. In addition to standard doors, sliding doors may also be used for entrances to buildings [6]. These standards and other related subjects are shown in Table 2.
2.3.2. Stairs and ramps Stairs as main vertical circulation elements are physical barriers for wheelchair users. A wheelchair user could access another Ooor with the help of ramps or lifts. However, wheelchair users cannot use stairs which are being used by other handicapped people. If stairs combine two levels which have less than a normal Ooor height, ramps cannot be used since they require large spaces. Stair lifts can be used in these cases. The dimensions of the stair, which has stair lift, must be suitable so that both stair lift and steps may be used together. The beginning and the end of the stair lifts and place of lift on the stair are important. Ramps are used for combining together two Ooor parts that do not have many di0erences. The
Corridors and halls, as lateral circulation elements, and stairs, ramps, and lifts as vertical circulation elements, and doors as elements used in lateral circulation are investigated in this section to evaluate the adaptation of existing housing settlements to make them suitable for wheelchair users (see Table 3). 2.3.1. Corridors The standard width of corridors varies between 105 and 200 cm in di0erent countries. The minimum width of corridors has been de1ned as 81.5 cm in “Organizing Conditions for Disabled Housing” [7]. The width of corridors has to be suitable for the passage of one wheelchair and a person together. This dimension is de1ned as 122 cm [7].
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Table 2 Control list for near environment of housing blocksa Place
Solution–control
Case study score
Parking
3% of parking spaces have to be reserved for cars of handicapped persons Minimum 2 parking spaces have to be reserved for cars of the handicapped in every parking lot These parking spaces have to be the nearest parking spaces to accessible entrance of buildings Parking spaces should not be farther than 100 m when there are eaves and not farther than 50 m when there are no eaves Width of a parking space should be 3.50 –3.70 m There must be sidewalk ramps at every sidewalk around the parking space
◦
Maximum inclination of the entrance ramps must be 8.3% or 1=12 Length of a straight ramp must not exceed 9.5 m Minimum width of a ramp must be 91.5 cm There must be a 155 cm landing at the beginning and end of the ramps
+
Entrance platforms must be provided at building entrances Hard and non-slip surface materials have to be selected and very good illumination must be provided Door mats should not be used; if it is used it must be hard and its upper side must be at the surface level Entrance doors should be less than 91.5 cm in width Doors should not have thresholds. If there are, they should be angled and their height must not exceed 1.9 cm Revolving doors are not permissible. If there is a revolving door it must be accompanied by a standard door Automatic sliding doors are the most suitable door type for wheelchair users
+
Entrance ramps
Building entrances and entrance doors
a (+)
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦
+ ◦ ◦ ◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
characteristics of the ramps in buildings are the same as ramps at the entrance. 2.3.3. Lifts Many di0erent standards have been given for lift dimensions. The width of a lift cabin di0ers by 107 cm and the length by 120 cm between standards of di0erent countries. The dimensions for a lift cabin have been accepted as 110 × 140 cm in this research. The same dimensions are de1ned in German, Sweden and Swiss standards. The cabin of the lift has to stop at Ooor level with 13 mm tolerance [7]. There has to be a waiting area for every lift that should be in accordance with lift capacity. The waiting area should also be suitable to wheelchair turning with dimensions of 152:5 × 152:5 cm. Lobbies would be more suitable as a location for lifts instead of corridors according to the above requirement. Operating controls in lift cabin should be accessible and usable by wheelchair users. Hard materials are recommended for the Ooor of the lifts. There have to be grasping bars in the cabinet
of lifts located at a height of 85 –90 cm from the Ooor level. There are also di0erent dimensions for doors of lifts. However, 91.5 cm is the most suitable dimension and has been accepted for this paper. Automatic doors for lifts are preferred. The operating controls of the lifts should be considered as interior and exterior controls. Automatic door opening controls, calling switches and signals that show the location of a cabin are considered as exterior controls. Automatic door opening controls have to be activated when an object passes through a height of middle axle of control between 14.5 and 73.5 cm [7]. Call buttons have to be 106.5 cm from the Ooor level. Controls for lifts should be located 183 cm from the Ooor level [7]. Interior controls should be placed on the door wall of the cabin or on the wall which is perpendicular to the door wall. The lower level of the control panel should have minimum 89 cm height from the cabin Ooor. The upper level of panel has maximum 122 cm (front approach) or 137 cm (parallel approach) height. Alarms and controls must have legible letters and numbers.
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Table 3 Control list for Lateral and vertical circulation elements of housing blocksa Place
Solution – control
Case study score
Corridors
Width of corridor would be obtained according to one wheelchair and one adult using side by side. This dimension is 122 cm If two wheelchairs use corridors at the same time, width of corridor should be 155 cm ◦ If there are 90 turns, the minimum corridor width should not be less than 91.5 cm
+
Stairs and ramps
If Ooor or height di0erences cannot be solved by using ramps and lifts; stair lifts should be used Normal steps of stairs must also be usable in these cases. Maximum inclination of ramps must not exceed 8.3% or 1=12 Length of one straight run should not exceed 9.5 m Width of a ramp should be 91.5 cm There have to be landings at beginning and end of the ramps which should be 155 × 155 cm Balustrade for ramps must be provided at 76 –86.5 cm height from ramp surface. There has to be a 5 cm height border at the edge of ramps Floor of ramps should be covered with hard and non-slip materials If there is a landing; the minimum width of the landing must be 100 cm. If ramps change direction at the landing this dimension should be 155 × 155 cm
× - ◦ (adaptable if portable stair lift is used in A type houses) × (when there is no appropriate space for ramps in both types of houses)
Lifts
There has to be a lift for multistorey buildings Space has to be provided in front of the lift cabin for waiting Dimensions of this space have to be 152:5 × 152:5 cm to facilitate turning of wheelchairs Dimensions of lift cabin should be 110 × 140 cm Dimensions of doors for lift cabin should not be less than 91.5 cm Carpet and other thick materials should not be used as Ooor coverings for lift cabins Automatic door controllers have to be placed between 12.5 and 73.5 cm above from the Ooor level in the case of using automatic lift doors Middle axis of calling buttons of lifts should be 106.5 cm above the Ooor level Minimum height of signals that show tpcat Pm of lift cabin should be 183 cm
+ (for A); ×(for B) +
Doors and windows
Materials
a (+)
Doors should be placed perpendicular to corridor axis for easy opening and visual view Minimum width of door should be 81.5 cm in case of ◦ 90 opening of doors Door control elements should be 100 –110 cm high and control bars should be placed 80 cm high Thresholds should not be used in doors. If it is a requirement, its height must not exceed 1.9 cm and it should be angled Standard, sliding and swinging doors are more suitable to wheelchair users Height of window parapets should not exceed 80 cm for wheelchair users. Window controls must be placed 90 –122 cm high from the Ooor level Non-slip, hard, non-deforming type of materials should be selected for Ooor coverings to suit the wheelchair users
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
× +
× ◦ ◦ + ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ + ◦ ◦
◦
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2.3.4. Doors and windows Doors may be physical barriers and windows may be visual barriers for wheelchair users. For this reason the planning and design of doors and windows have to be considered while reorganizing buildings and spaces for wheelchair users. Doors must open perpendicularly to corridors for easy opening and easy view [7]. The minimum net width of a door must not be less than 81.5 cm. The physically handicapped may open doors by pushing with their wheelchairs or walkers. Therefore, a push plate at the lower part of the doors must be used to protect the handicapped from accidents. Thresholds are not recommended in any type of doors. If hydraulic doorstops are used, the type that has a prolonged closing time would be recommended. Standard doors, sliding doors, swinging doors are suitable door types for wheelchair users. There are di0erent approach dimensions for wheelchairs to doors according to opening type and place of the door on the corridor. All window openers, socket outlets, switches and other controls must be reachable from a wheelchair [1]. Comfortable heights for parapets of windows are 80 cm so that wheelchair users can easily look outside. Opening commands for windows have to be placed at 90 or 120 cm height [7]. Window dimensions and opening devices should not a0ect the activities of wheelchair users. 2.3.5. Materials Especially, Ooor-covering materials are very important in the context of this part. Floor-covering materials have to be hard and non-slip. However, thick, soft and folding materials like carpets and other similar materials which make wheelchair turning diMcult should not to be used as Ooor 1nishing. Floor covering of places that wheelchair users stay in for long periods should be non-slip and non-deforming. Other characteristics are of secondary importance. Ceramic tiles, arti1cial marble, synthetic carpet, PVC tiles or plates, rubber and hard wood are de1ned as good Ooor-covering materials for wheelchair users. 2.4. Criteria for spaces Criteria for spaces in housing units are considered in this section. The classi1cation of criteria for the usability and accessibility in spaces of housing units could be done as follows (see Table 4): • • • •
criteria criteria criteria criteria
for for for for
living and dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms.
2.4.1. Criteria for living and dining rooms Living and dining spaces are shared spaces in houses. Therefore, these spaces have to be suitable to all users
who come and live in houses. All doors of living and dining rooms should be designed so that it can be used by the handicapped persons. Dimensions of tables should be suited to the requirements of the wheelchair users. Wheelchair-bound guests stay in living rooms. Therefore some space for wheelchairs about 120 × 100 cm may be suitable. Sitting equipment should be arranged according to wheelchair organizations. Some gymnastic tools like parallel bars may be used and therefore may be installed in the living rooms. At least one chair needs 77 cm space beside it for transfer [9] if the wheelchair users want to sometimes use a chair. There should be at least one ◦ 152:5 × 152:5 cm clear space for 180 turns [9]. Height di0erences between Ooors have to be solved according to wheelchair users if there is no lift. Windows in living rooms should allow for seated people to look outside. Sill height of windows in the living room should not exceed 60 cm from Ooor level. Soft carpets are not suitable for wheelchair users in living and dining rooms. 2.4.2. Criteria for kitchens A kitchen designed so that the preparation and management of meals can be done entirely from a wheelchair, with wheelchair access to sink and preparation area and adequate storage accommodation within reach has to be provided [1]. The main working place in the kitchen is between stove and sink. The optimum height of the working place is 80 cm from Ooor level [6]. This height should be 90 cm for ambulant disabled and other adult users. Therefore if there are di0erent users, then di0erent units which have di0erent heights should be used in kitchens. The same problem is valid for sink usage. An adjustable sink may be used in these cases. Knee access should be provided at the preparation area. The clear width between parallel kitchen units may be reduced to 140 cm if there is no restriction at the foot level for wheelchair users. Storage accommodation in a kitchen for a wheelchair-bound housewife poses an unsolvable problem [1] since upper storage units are too high to reach and lower units cannot be used due to the necessity of knee access. Therefore, some reachable storage space may be suitable for wheelchair users placed at the height of working levels. 2.4.3. Criteria for bedrooms Wheelchair access to all rooms in the home including bedrooms should be provided. It is not necessary to allow for bedmaking from a wheelchair by providing maneuvering space on three sides of any bed [1]. However, bedrooms with double beds may be arranged to facilitate bedmaking by wheelchair users if there is an extra usable area of 100 cm depth at three edges of the bed. Convenient or close bathroom–bedroom connections have to be considered when adaptation is made for wheelchair users in housing units.
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Table 4 Control list for spacesa Place
Solution-control
Case study score
Criteria for living and dining rooms
All doors of living and dining rooms should be designed so that it can be used by handicapped Dimensions of tables should be suited to the requirements of the wheelchair users Provide 120 × 100 cm staying space for wheelchairs in living rooms Sitting equipment must be arranged according to wheelchair organizations At least one chair needs 77 cm space beside it for transfer There should be at least one 152:5 × 152:5 cm clear ◦ space for 180 turns Windows in living rooms should allow for seated people to look outside, sill height should not exceed 60 cm Soft carpets are not suitable for wheelchair users
◦
Criteria for kitchens
Criteria for bedrooms
Criteria for bathrooms
a (+)
◦ + ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
Wheeelchair access to sink and preparation area and adequate storage accommodation within reach must be provided Optimum height of working place is 80 cm for wheelchair users, but if there are di0erent users in the kitchen then adjustable sink and working place or di0erent units which have di0erent heights should be planned Knee access should be provided at the preparation area The clear width between parallel kitchen units may be reduced to 140 cm Some reachable storage space may be suitable for wheelchair users placed at the height of working levels
◦
Wheelchair access to all bedrooms in house would be preferred A place for bedmaking in every bedroom is not necessary, but in bedrooms with double beds if there is an extra 100 cm depth area, it would be suitable for bedmaking by wheelchair users Convenient or close bathroom–bedroom connections should be preferred
◦
The bathroom should be planned to allow for turning wheelchair, that means the clear space in the bathroom should not be less than 140 cm wide This dimension is also suitable to use watercloset in the bathroom if the middle axis of the watercloset is 40 cm away from wall A bathbasin having a 40 cm wide platform at the head end would be very suitable for seated transfer The preferred height of the bathbasin is 45 cm from Ooor level The handrails for bathbasins should be placed 55 cm away from Ooor level, the lower part of handrail for waterclosets could be placed between 67 and 80 cm from Ooor level, upper part of the handrail could be 140 cm The maximum height of washbasin should be 75 cm Knee access has to be considered for washbasin The lowest height for mirrors in the bathrooms is 90 cm from the Ooor level, optimum upper height for mirrors should be 130 cm for wheelchair users The optimum heat for bathrooms which are used by ◦ wheelchair-bound persons has to be 24 C
◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
◦
◦ ◦ ◦
◦
◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
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2.4.4. Criteria for bathrooms Bathrooms should be planned to allow for turning a wheelchair. To allow for wheelchair turning the clear space in the bathroom should be not less than 140 cm wide [1]. This dimension is also suitable for use of the watercloset in the bathroom if the middle axis of watercloset is 40 cm away from the wall. The handrails for both watercloset and bathing basin have to be supplied for wheelchair-bound in the bathrooms. A bathing basin having a 40 cm wide platform at the head end should be very suitable for seated transfer. The preferred height of the bath basin is 45 cm from Ooor level for wheelchair users. The handrails for bath basins should be placed 55 cm away from Ooor level. The lower part of handrails for waterclosets could be placed between 67 and 80 cm from Ooor level. The upper part of the handrail should be 140 cm from Ooor level. The height of the upper part of the wash basin for the chairbound should be 75 cm from Ooor level. Knee access has to be considered for wash basins. The lowest height for mirrors in the bathrooms start 90 cm from Ooor level. The optimum upper height for mirrors is 130 cm for wheelchair users. The optimum heat for bathrooms which are used by ◦ wheelchair-bound persons has to be 24 C. Heat in the ◦ other spaces must not be less than 22 C [6]. There are three modes of evaluation in the suggested model of this study. The 1rst one which is called “suitable” means that there is no barrier for accessibility and usability of wheelchair-bound handicapped. The second mode is “adaptable” and this de1nes the environment having barriers that can be transformed with some e0ort to an accessible and usable one. The third mode is “not adaptable”. This mode means that there is no chance to have any accessibility and usability possibilities for wheelchairbound. The assessment model has three phases in adapting an ordinary house to a wheelchair-bound persons house: • If all the subjects in an evaluation level receive a suitable score, then we would say that this environment is accessible. • If there isn’t any ‘not adaptable’ score in any level of the assessment in this evaluation, that means this environment can be adapted according to the requirements of the wheelchair-bound person. • If there is a ‘not adaptable’ score in any level, then we have to call this an unadaptable environment for a wheelchair-bound person for this level of assessment.
3. Case study A mass housing in Istanbul has been selected as the case of this article. Emekli Subay Evleri (Retired Army OMcers Housing) constructed in 1961–1962 for the retired army oMcers at Esentepe district of Istanbul by Em-
Fig. 1. Site plan of Emekli Subay Evleri.
lak Kredi Bankasi (Bank of Real Estate & Credit) (see Fig. 1). There are two block types in this housing settlement. “A” type of blocks have eight Ooors, including the ground Ooor. This type has a lift and two dwelling units on every Ooor. The second “B” type blocks also have two dwelling units and 1ve Ooors, including the ground Ooor. This block type does not have a lift. The other space organizations in both housing blocks are similar. The evaluation of di0erent levels in the case study had been shown in the last column of the control lists. As seen in Table 1, the mass housing settlement evaluated in the case study could be de1ned as ‘adaptable’, since it has suitable and adaptable scores in this level. There are some stairs and narrow sidewalks in the settlement as seen in the site plan. However, these problems can be solved easily. The second evaluation in the case study has been realized on the level of ‘near environment of housing blocks’ which covers parking lots, entrance ramps, building entrances and entrance doors. This level could also be called ‘adaptable’ because it achieved ‘adaptable’ and ‘suitable’ scores in this category. The third level of evaluation covers the lateral and vertical circulation elements of the housing blocks. This level has sub-categories such as corridors, stairs and ramps, lifts, doors and windows and materials. There are some problems in three subcategories of the third level. The 1rst problem is the narrow Ooor halls which are not suitable for the turning requirements of wheelchairs. There is no possibility to change this condition. Therefore this part of the buildings can only be used by wheelchair users being assisted by another person. As seen in Fig. 2, “A” type housing blocks have lifts but the height between the Ooor of entrance and the level of lift is 150 cms. Therefore a ramp is required for the
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Fig. 2. Plans of the housing units.
accessibility of the lifts. Since there is not enough space for suitable inclined ramps; only portable stair lifts can provide access to the lifts from the entrance hall. The lifts of “A” type of blocks can only be called adaptable in this condition. On the other hand, “B” type housing blocks do not have lifts and there is no space to install one. Therefore, the B type housing blocks were de1ned as “not-adaptable”. The other conditions in this level of assessment could be de1ned as “adaptable”. However, the overall score of the B type housing blocks is “not-adaptable” in this case. The last assessment level of the model in this study is accessibility and usability of spaces. As seen in Table 4 the housing units have mainly “adaptable scores” in this level. There are problems about turning of wheelchairs in some spaces shown in the plans of housing units. However, this problem can be solved with the help of another person in the house. There are some narrow doors which could be replaced by suitable ones.
their everyday lives. Therefore adapting existing housing environments would be more convenient for the handicapped, instead of planning and designing new settlements or buildings for them since isolated settlements or buildings would have negative psychological e0ects on the handicapped. There are many elderly and disabled people who have to cope with housing environments that make them sad and hopeless since they cannot participate as the others participate in the environment. Equal accessibility had been considered in this study in order to obtain an assessment for a barrier-free housing environment which would be based on equal opportunity for everyone. Therefore, Oexibility in housing design gains importance in adapting existing housing settlement to be accessible and usable by wheelchair users. Adaptation of existing houses to suit the requirements of wheelchair users is a very diMcult issue since many existing housing settlements like the one in the case study did not have Oexible approaches.
4. Conclusion
References
It is believed that living in familiar environments allows the wheelchair-bound to more e0ectively participate in
[1] Goldsmith S. Designing for the disabled. London: RIBA publication, 1984.
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[2] GTundTuz A. Bedensel Engelliler GTozTu ile Ulkemizdeki Yasam Kosullari ve Yerlesim Sorunlari, (Life Conditions and Housing Problems of Physical Disables in Turkey). In: Komut E. editor. Digerlerinin Konut Sorunlari (Housing problems of others). Ankara: TMMOB Mimarlar Odasi, 1996. [3] Lebovich WL. Design for dignity, studies in accessibility. New York: Wiley, 1993. [4] Robinett, G.O. (ed), Barrier Free Exterior Design: Anyone Can Go Anywhere, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1985. [5] STurmen S. Sehir Kaldirimlar ve HTur YTurTuyTusler Demektir (City means walkways and independent walks), 1996. No. 179. Yapi, Ekim, p. 44 – 6.
[6] STurmen S. Tekerlekli Koltuktaki I˙ nsanlarin Hayatindan Tablolar ve Bir Mimarlik Klavuzu (Instances from the life of wheelchair-bound T Makina FakTultesi Ofset and an architectural guide). Istanbul: ˙I TU AtTolyesi, 1988. T urlTu ˙I nsanlarin Ikamet Edecegi Binalarin DTuzenlenmesi [7] TS 9111. OzT Kurallari, (Organization conditions for dwellings of handicapped people). Ankara: TSE 9111, Nisan, 1991. [8] Architectural Services. Facilities for the disabled. Architectural Services, PSA Building Design Guide, Watford, 1989. [9] Raschko BB. Housing interiors for the disabled and elderly. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1991.
www.elsevier.com/locate/buildenv
Assessment for accessibility in housing settlements Isil Hacihasanoglu∗ , Orhan Hacihasanoglu Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey Received 18 October 1999; received in revised form 17 January 2000; accepted 22 May 2000
Abstract This study introduces a progressive assessment based on control lists of di0erent accessibility criteria to 1t adaptability to wheelchair users in housing environments. Assessment for accessibility in housing settlements has four di0erent levels of study. Every study level covers some criteria for accessibility in related spaces, environments or building elements. General settlement criteria, criteria related with near environment of buildings, criteria for lateral and vertical circulation, and criteria for usage in space are considered in this study. A case study has been applied in a mass housing settlement in Istanbul. The mass housing settlement has been evaluated by the c 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. assessment model as to whether it is suitable to adapt to wheelchair users or not. Keywords: Accessibility; Handicapped; Housing
1. Introduction The person with a disability is two times handicapped. First, he is handicapped because he does not physically have the capacity that others have. Second, he is handicapped because he is known as handicapped by others. Therefore disabled people need help from architects, help in the planning of the houses they live in, as well as, the design and organization of the buildings they use for work, education, recreation and so on. They need opportunities to participate in the busy life of the world, to be involved, to engage in the same sort of a0airs as the non-handicapped. The aim of this study is to determine a progressive assessment model on the adaptability of existing housing settlements to wheelchair users. This study had been limited to the accessibility of the wheelchair-bound. However, the criteria for accessibility of wheelchair users may also be suitable to other handicapped people. If the question, “What can be done to make ordinary housing more suitable for wheelchair users and other disabled people?” is put, the facile response is likely to be ‘just make it a little bit larger’ [1]. The matter, though, is not as simple as de1ned in this sentence. There are many factors and criteria for adapting a house for the handicapped, especially for wheelchair users. ∗
Corresponding author.
The General Council of United Nations gives the de1nition of a handicapped as: “A person is de1ned as handicapped if he or she, unlike the non-handicapped individual, is unable to perform some task which is ordinarily performed by the individual in social life” [2]. On the other hand, the wheelchair-bound handicapped is a person who cannot walk on his feet but must be transported with the aid of a wheelchair for a limited time or for all his life. The wheelchair-bound may have di0erent independence requirements in their di0erent life terms and ages; however, there are also di0erences in terms of the levels of independence of handicapped people when compared to the levels of independence of the non-handicapped. These di0erences occur since the barriers for healthy people are social and ethical while, on the other hand, the handicapped also face physical barriers.
2. Assessment model for adapting existing housing to wheelchair users The structure of this study is based on control lists obtained from criteria derived from standards and norms of di0erent countries at di0erent levels. The adaptability opportunities of existing housing settlements to wheelchair users are evaluated in di0erent levels. The criteria for wheelchair users in the assessment for accessibility in
c 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 0360-1323/01/$ - see front matter PII: S 0 3 6 0 - 1 3 2 3 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 4 1 - X
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housing settlements may be listed as below: (a) (b) (c) (d)
General settlement criteria. Criteria related to near environment of buildings. Criteria for lateral and vertical circulation. Criteria for space usage.
The four groups of criteria start from those for the general settlement and end with rooms as micro spaces. The most important concept in obtaining control lists at di0erent levels for adapting existing houses to suit wheelchair users is equal accessibility. Good accessible design starts with equal access, not by adding an accessible entrance at the rear while the front entrance remains inaccessible [3]. Therefore, the following progressive criteria used for evaluating the adaptability of existing housing environments to wheelchair users have been carefully designed to 1t the equal access concept. This approach must also be considered in the application of the assessment model to di0erent cases. 2.1. Criteria for general settlement The most important criteria for mass housing settlements include the accessibility of wheelchair users from public transportation vehicles or their cars to buildings and from buildings to buildings and also from buildings to other facilities in open spaces without encountering any stairs or high-inclining ramps. Pedestrian roads in the housing settlements have to be 120 –165 cm in width to be easily used by wheelchair users. Bus stops and pedestrian crossings and pedestrian roads and pedestrian crossings between bus stops and buildings in all crossroads have to be planned. The inclination of all pedestrian roads must not exceed 5 or 6% while the inclination of sidewalk ramps may not exceed 8.3% or 1=12, as indicated in Table 1. In general, access to transportation facilities through the site and to the buildings should be smooth and free of barriers; paved surfaces should be hard and relatively smooth, sidewalks should be ramped cuts, walks should be suMciently wide to accommodate two-way traMc [4]. There are important elements for designing ramps to overcome sidewalks serving as a barrier: (1) The height of sidewalks must not exceed 16 cm, which is the normal height of a step. This dimension varies between 4 and 14 cm in German norms. The height of sidewalks must decrease to 0 –3 cm in pedestrian crossings [5]. (2) Divided or stepped sidewalks are diMcult to use for wheelchair users. Sidewalk ramps have to be organized on the crossroads and around the junction of important roads. (3) Di0erent groups of materials are sometimes used for surfaces of walkways. Soft materials such as crushed rock, earth, lawn-grass, river rock, soil cement and
tanbark are not suitable to wheelchair activities. The second type of materials includes variable surfaces and materials such as cobble stones, exposed aggregate, Oagstones, sand-laid brick, wood disks in sand. These types of materials cause irregular surfaces and make movement diMcult for wheelchairs. The third type of material group includes hard surface material such as asphalt, concrete, tile–brick in concrete. Hard surface materials yield 1rm and regular surfaces for walking and moving wheeled vehicles [4]. 2.2. Criteria for near environment of houses Criteria for near environment of housing blocks cover the approach to the entrance of the buildings and the comfortable entrance by wheelchair users to buildings. There are three di0erent groups of criteria for near environments of the buildings beginning from open spaces to entrance of the buildings. These groups are: 1. Parking spaces, 2. Entrance ramps. 3. Entrance doors of housing blocks. 2.2.1. Parking spaces Three percent of open parking spaces have to be reserved for the car parking of handicapped people [6]. At least two car-park spaces in every parking lot have to be reserved for cars of handicapped people. Parking spaces for the handicapped have to be located nearest to entrance doors of buildings [7]. The distance between parking and entrance of building should be less than 100 m if there are eaves, less than 50 m if there are no eaves [8]. The width of parking space for a handicapped person’s car has been determined as a minimum space of 3– 4 m long for getting out of the car and as a turning space for the wheelchair. However, this dimension could be recommended as 3.5 m or 3.70 m ideally. There has to be a signboard in the parking lots indicating that parking spaces have been reserved for the cars of handicapped people. Eaves are recommended to protect handicapped people from rain, snow or direct sun while they are getting in or out of their car in parking spaces. Wheelchair users must reach the nearest sidewalk by using suitable ramps and walkways. 2.2.2. Entrance ramps Entrance ramps connect the entrance doors of the building blocks to parking spaces or walkways. The inclination of entrance ramps must not exceed 1=12 or 8.3% [4]. The length of a ramp that does not have a landing must not exceed 9.5 m. The minimum width of a ramp is 91.5 cm. There has to be a landing, which is 155 cm in length at the beginning and at the end of the ramps. A warning must be provided at the beginning of ramps. Ramps should be
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Table 1 Control list for general settlementa Place
Solution–control
Case study scores
General settlement
Spaces for waiting and getting into bus=bus stops in suitable places Not encountering high-inclining ramps and any type of stairs
+ ◦
Walkways
Suitable ramp inclination (5 – 6%) Hard, little jointed, non-slip surface materials Suitable width of walkways: 120 –165 cm
◦ + ◦
Sidewalk
Sidewalk ramp inclination 8.3% (1=12) Sidewalk width 120 –165 cm Sidewalk ramps have to be placed near junctions or pedestrian crossings Double (divided) or stepped sidewalks are not to be used Maximum height of the sidewalk has to be 14 cm Most suitable characteristics of surface-covering materials are: hard, little jointed and non-slip
◦ ◦ ◦ + ◦ +
Pedestrian crossing
Use suitable sidewalk ramps (inclination 8.3%) or obtain a sidewalk height of 0 –3 cm in pedestrian crossings Indicate pedestrian crossing with lines or texture
◦
a (+)
◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
designed to carry a live load of 100 lbs per square foot [4] (this equals approximately 500 kg=m2 ). Ramps should be illuminated to an average maintained high level, which ensures their safe use in darkness. Landings for ramps should be provided. The surface of the ramps should be covered by non-slip materials. There has to be a minimum of 5 cm height for the border on the edge of ramps. Dimensions of landings in ramps must not be smaller than the width of the ramps. The landings of ramps should have a minimum of 100 –120 cm length [7]. If ramps change direction in landings then the dimension of the landing must be a minimum of 155 × 155 cm. Balustrades must be provided in ramps, which either have 183 cm length or 15 cm or more height. The height of the balustrade must be between 76 and 86 cm for its use by a wheelchair-bound handicapped [7].
2.3. Criteria for lateral and vertical circulation of housing blocks
2.2.3. Building entrances and entrance doors An entrance platform has to be designed for every housing block. The Ooor surface of this platform should be hard, non-slip and well illuminated. Doormats should not be used at entrances. If it is not possible then a hard doormat should be chosen and placed so that its upper part is at the same level as the Ooor covering material [7]. The height of entrance doors should not be less than 91.5 cm. Thresholds should not be placed in the doors. If there is a requirement for making thresholds then its height should not exceed 1.9 cm. In addition to standard doors, sliding doors may also be used for entrances to buildings [6]. These standards and other related subjects are shown in Table 2.
2.3.2. Stairs and ramps Stairs as main vertical circulation elements are physical barriers for wheelchair users. A wheelchair user could access another Ooor with the help of ramps or lifts. However, wheelchair users cannot use stairs which are being used by other handicapped people. If stairs combine two levels which have less than a normal Ooor height, ramps cannot be used since they require large spaces. Stair lifts can be used in these cases. The dimensions of the stair, which has stair lift, must be suitable so that both stair lift and steps may be used together. The beginning and the end of the stair lifts and place of lift on the stair are important. Ramps are used for combining together two Ooor parts that do not have many di0erences. The
Corridors and halls, as lateral circulation elements, and stairs, ramps, and lifts as vertical circulation elements, and doors as elements used in lateral circulation are investigated in this section to evaluate the adaptation of existing housing settlements to make them suitable for wheelchair users (see Table 3). 2.3.1. Corridors The standard width of corridors varies between 105 and 200 cm in di0erent countries. The minimum width of corridors has been de1ned as 81.5 cm in “Organizing Conditions for Disabled Housing” [7]. The width of corridors has to be suitable for the passage of one wheelchair and a person together. This dimension is de1ned as 122 cm [7].
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Table 2 Control list for near environment of housing blocksa Place
Solution–control
Case study score
Parking
3% of parking spaces have to be reserved for cars of handicapped persons Minimum 2 parking spaces have to be reserved for cars of the handicapped in every parking lot These parking spaces have to be the nearest parking spaces to accessible entrance of buildings Parking spaces should not be farther than 100 m when there are eaves and not farther than 50 m when there are no eaves Width of a parking space should be 3.50 –3.70 m There must be sidewalk ramps at every sidewalk around the parking space
◦
Maximum inclination of the entrance ramps must be 8.3% or 1=12 Length of a straight ramp must not exceed 9.5 m Minimum width of a ramp must be 91.5 cm There must be a 155 cm landing at the beginning and end of the ramps
+
Entrance platforms must be provided at building entrances Hard and non-slip surface materials have to be selected and very good illumination must be provided Door mats should not be used; if it is used it must be hard and its upper side must be at the surface level Entrance doors should be less than 91.5 cm in width Doors should not have thresholds. If there are, they should be angled and their height must not exceed 1.9 cm Revolving doors are not permissible. If there is a revolving door it must be accompanied by a standard door Automatic sliding doors are the most suitable door type for wheelchair users
+
Entrance ramps
Building entrances and entrance doors
a (+)
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦
+ ◦ ◦ ◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
characteristics of the ramps in buildings are the same as ramps at the entrance. 2.3.3. Lifts Many di0erent standards have been given for lift dimensions. The width of a lift cabin di0ers by 107 cm and the length by 120 cm between standards of di0erent countries. The dimensions for a lift cabin have been accepted as 110 × 140 cm in this research. The same dimensions are de1ned in German, Sweden and Swiss standards. The cabin of the lift has to stop at Ooor level with 13 mm tolerance [7]. There has to be a waiting area for every lift that should be in accordance with lift capacity. The waiting area should also be suitable to wheelchair turning with dimensions of 152:5 × 152:5 cm. Lobbies would be more suitable as a location for lifts instead of corridors according to the above requirement. Operating controls in lift cabin should be accessible and usable by wheelchair users. Hard materials are recommended for the Ooor of the lifts. There have to be grasping bars in the cabinet
of lifts located at a height of 85 –90 cm from the Ooor level. There are also di0erent dimensions for doors of lifts. However, 91.5 cm is the most suitable dimension and has been accepted for this paper. Automatic doors for lifts are preferred. The operating controls of the lifts should be considered as interior and exterior controls. Automatic door opening controls, calling switches and signals that show the location of a cabin are considered as exterior controls. Automatic door opening controls have to be activated when an object passes through a height of middle axle of control between 14.5 and 73.5 cm [7]. Call buttons have to be 106.5 cm from the Ooor level. Controls for lifts should be located 183 cm from the Ooor level [7]. Interior controls should be placed on the door wall of the cabin or on the wall which is perpendicular to the door wall. The lower level of the control panel should have minimum 89 cm height from the cabin Ooor. The upper level of panel has maximum 122 cm (front approach) or 137 cm (parallel approach) height. Alarms and controls must have legible letters and numbers.
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Table 3 Control list for Lateral and vertical circulation elements of housing blocksa Place
Solution – control
Case study score
Corridors
Width of corridor would be obtained according to one wheelchair and one adult using side by side. This dimension is 122 cm If two wheelchairs use corridors at the same time, width of corridor should be 155 cm ◦ If there are 90 turns, the minimum corridor width should not be less than 91.5 cm
+
Stairs and ramps
If Ooor or height di0erences cannot be solved by using ramps and lifts; stair lifts should be used Normal steps of stairs must also be usable in these cases. Maximum inclination of ramps must not exceed 8.3% or 1=12 Length of one straight run should not exceed 9.5 m Width of a ramp should be 91.5 cm There have to be landings at beginning and end of the ramps which should be 155 × 155 cm Balustrade for ramps must be provided at 76 –86.5 cm height from ramp surface. There has to be a 5 cm height border at the edge of ramps Floor of ramps should be covered with hard and non-slip materials If there is a landing; the minimum width of the landing must be 100 cm. If ramps change direction at the landing this dimension should be 155 × 155 cm
× - ◦ (adaptable if portable stair lift is used in A type houses) × (when there is no appropriate space for ramps in both types of houses)
Lifts
There has to be a lift for multistorey buildings Space has to be provided in front of the lift cabin for waiting Dimensions of this space have to be 152:5 × 152:5 cm to facilitate turning of wheelchairs Dimensions of lift cabin should be 110 × 140 cm Dimensions of doors for lift cabin should not be less than 91.5 cm Carpet and other thick materials should not be used as Ooor coverings for lift cabins Automatic door controllers have to be placed between 12.5 and 73.5 cm above from the Ooor level in the case of using automatic lift doors Middle axis of calling buttons of lifts should be 106.5 cm above the Ooor level Minimum height of signals that show tpcat Pm of lift cabin should be 183 cm
+ (for A); ×(for B) +
Doors and windows
Materials
a (+)
Doors should be placed perpendicular to corridor axis for easy opening and visual view Minimum width of door should be 81.5 cm in case of ◦ 90 opening of doors Door control elements should be 100 –110 cm high and control bars should be placed 80 cm high Thresholds should not be used in doors. If it is a requirement, its height must not exceed 1.9 cm and it should be angled Standard, sliding and swinging doors are more suitable to wheelchair users Height of window parapets should not exceed 80 cm for wheelchair users. Window controls must be placed 90 –122 cm high from the Ooor level Non-slip, hard, non-deforming type of materials should be selected for Ooor coverings to suit the wheelchair users
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
× +
× ◦ ◦ + ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ + ◦ ◦
◦
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2.3.4. Doors and windows Doors may be physical barriers and windows may be visual barriers for wheelchair users. For this reason the planning and design of doors and windows have to be considered while reorganizing buildings and spaces for wheelchair users. Doors must open perpendicularly to corridors for easy opening and easy view [7]. The minimum net width of a door must not be less than 81.5 cm. The physically handicapped may open doors by pushing with their wheelchairs or walkers. Therefore, a push plate at the lower part of the doors must be used to protect the handicapped from accidents. Thresholds are not recommended in any type of doors. If hydraulic doorstops are used, the type that has a prolonged closing time would be recommended. Standard doors, sliding doors, swinging doors are suitable door types for wheelchair users. There are di0erent approach dimensions for wheelchairs to doors according to opening type and place of the door on the corridor. All window openers, socket outlets, switches and other controls must be reachable from a wheelchair [1]. Comfortable heights for parapets of windows are 80 cm so that wheelchair users can easily look outside. Opening commands for windows have to be placed at 90 or 120 cm height [7]. Window dimensions and opening devices should not a0ect the activities of wheelchair users. 2.3.5. Materials Especially, Ooor-covering materials are very important in the context of this part. Floor-covering materials have to be hard and non-slip. However, thick, soft and folding materials like carpets and other similar materials which make wheelchair turning diMcult should not to be used as Ooor 1nishing. Floor covering of places that wheelchair users stay in for long periods should be non-slip and non-deforming. Other characteristics are of secondary importance. Ceramic tiles, arti1cial marble, synthetic carpet, PVC tiles or plates, rubber and hard wood are de1ned as good Ooor-covering materials for wheelchair users. 2.4. Criteria for spaces Criteria for spaces in housing units are considered in this section. The classi1cation of criteria for the usability and accessibility in spaces of housing units could be done as follows (see Table 4): • • • •
criteria criteria criteria criteria
for for for for
living and dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms.
2.4.1. Criteria for living and dining rooms Living and dining spaces are shared spaces in houses. Therefore, these spaces have to be suitable to all users
who come and live in houses. All doors of living and dining rooms should be designed so that it can be used by the handicapped persons. Dimensions of tables should be suited to the requirements of the wheelchair users. Wheelchair-bound guests stay in living rooms. Therefore some space for wheelchairs about 120 × 100 cm may be suitable. Sitting equipment should be arranged according to wheelchair organizations. Some gymnastic tools like parallel bars may be used and therefore may be installed in the living rooms. At least one chair needs 77 cm space beside it for transfer [9] if the wheelchair users want to sometimes use a chair. There should be at least one ◦ 152:5 × 152:5 cm clear space for 180 turns [9]. Height di0erences between Ooors have to be solved according to wheelchair users if there is no lift. Windows in living rooms should allow for seated people to look outside. Sill height of windows in the living room should not exceed 60 cm from Ooor level. Soft carpets are not suitable for wheelchair users in living and dining rooms. 2.4.2. Criteria for kitchens A kitchen designed so that the preparation and management of meals can be done entirely from a wheelchair, with wheelchair access to sink and preparation area and adequate storage accommodation within reach has to be provided [1]. The main working place in the kitchen is between stove and sink. The optimum height of the working place is 80 cm from Ooor level [6]. This height should be 90 cm for ambulant disabled and other adult users. Therefore if there are di0erent users, then di0erent units which have di0erent heights should be used in kitchens. The same problem is valid for sink usage. An adjustable sink may be used in these cases. Knee access should be provided at the preparation area. The clear width between parallel kitchen units may be reduced to 140 cm if there is no restriction at the foot level for wheelchair users. Storage accommodation in a kitchen for a wheelchair-bound housewife poses an unsolvable problem [1] since upper storage units are too high to reach and lower units cannot be used due to the necessity of knee access. Therefore, some reachable storage space may be suitable for wheelchair users placed at the height of working levels. 2.4.3. Criteria for bedrooms Wheelchair access to all rooms in the home including bedrooms should be provided. It is not necessary to allow for bedmaking from a wheelchair by providing maneuvering space on three sides of any bed [1]. However, bedrooms with double beds may be arranged to facilitate bedmaking by wheelchair users if there is an extra usable area of 100 cm depth at three edges of the bed. Convenient or close bathroom–bedroom connections have to be considered when adaptation is made for wheelchair users in housing units.
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Table 4 Control list for spacesa Place
Solution-control
Case study score
Criteria for living and dining rooms
All doors of living and dining rooms should be designed so that it can be used by handicapped Dimensions of tables should be suited to the requirements of the wheelchair users Provide 120 × 100 cm staying space for wheelchairs in living rooms Sitting equipment must be arranged according to wheelchair organizations At least one chair needs 77 cm space beside it for transfer There should be at least one 152:5 × 152:5 cm clear ◦ space for 180 turns Windows in living rooms should allow for seated people to look outside, sill height should not exceed 60 cm Soft carpets are not suitable for wheelchair users
◦
Criteria for kitchens
Criteria for bedrooms
Criteria for bathrooms
a (+)
◦ + ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
Wheeelchair access to sink and preparation area and adequate storage accommodation within reach must be provided Optimum height of working place is 80 cm for wheelchair users, but if there are di0erent users in the kitchen then adjustable sink and working place or di0erent units which have di0erent heights should be planned Knee access should be provided at the preparation area The clear width between parallel kitchen units may be reduced to 140 cm Some reachable storage space may be suitable for wheelchair users placed at the height of working levels
◦
Wheelchair access to all bedrooms in house would be preferred A place for bedmaking in every bedroom is not necessary, but in bedrooms with double beds if there is an extra 100 cm depth area, it would be suitable for bedmaking by wheelchair users Convenient or close bathroom–bedroom connections should be preferred
◦
The bathroom should be planned to allow for turning wheelchair, that means the clear space in the bathroom should not be less than 140 cm wide This dimension is also suitable to use watercloset in the bathroom if the middle axis of the watercloset is 40 cm away from wall A bathbasin having a 40 cm wide platform at the head end would be very suitable for seated transfer The preferred height of the bathbasin is 45 cm from Ooor level The handrails for bathbasins should be placed 55 cm away from Ooor level, the lower part of handrail for waterclosets could be placed between 67 and 80 cm from Ooor level, upper part of the handrail could be 140 cm The maximum height of washbasin should be 75 cm Knee access has to be considered for washbasin The lowest height for mirrors in the bathrooms is 90 cm from the Ooor level, optimum upper height for mirrors should be 130 cm for wheelchair users The optimum heat for bathrooms which are used by ◦ wheelchair-bound persons has to be 24 C
◦
suitable, (◦) adaptable, (×) not adaptable.
◦
◦ ◦ ◦
◦
◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
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2.4.4. Criteria for bathrooms Bathrooms should be planned to allow for turning a wheelchair. To allow for wheelchair turning the clear space in the bathroom should be not less than 140 cm wide [1]. This dimension is also suitable for use of the watercloset in the bathroom if the middle axis of watercloset is 40 cm away from the wall. The handrails for both watercloset and bathing basin have to be supplied for wheelchair-bound in the bathrooms. A bathing basin having a 40 cm wide platform at the head end should be very suitable for seated transfer. The preferred height of the bath basin is 45 cm from Ooor level for wheelchair users. The handrails for bath basins should be placed 55 cm away from Ooor level. The lower part of handrails for waterclosets could be placed between 67 and 80 cm from Ooor level. The upper part of the handrail should be 140 cm from Ooor level. The height of the upper part of the wash basin for the chairbound should be 75 cm from Ooor level. Knee access has to be considered for wash basins. The lowest height for mirrors in the bathrooms start 90 cm from Ooor level. The optimum upper height for mirrors is 130 cm for wheelchair users. The optimum heat for bathrooms which are used by ◦ wheelchair-bound persons has to be 24 C. Heat in the ◦ other spaces must not be less than 22 C [6]. There are three modes of evaluation in the suggested model of this study. The 1rst one which is called “suitable” means that there is no barrier for accessibility and usability of wheelchair-bound handicapped. The second mode is “adaptable” and this de1nes the environment having barriers that can be transformed with some e0ort to an accessible and usable one. The third mode is “not adaptable”. This mode means that there is no chance to have any accessibility and usability possibilities for wheelchairbound. The assessment model has three phases in adapting an ordinary house to a wheelchair-bound persons house: • If all the subjects in an evaluation level receive a suitable score, then we would say that this environment is accessible. • If there isn’t any ‘not adaptable’ score in any level of the assessment in this evaluation, that means this environment can be adapted according to the requirements of the wheelchair-bound person. • If there is a ‘not adaptable’ score in any level, then we have to call this an unadaptable environment for a wheelchair-bound person for this level of assessment.
3. Case study A mass housing in Istanbul has been selected as the case of this article. Emekli Subay Evleri (Retired Army OMcers Housing) constructed in 1961–1962 for the retired army oMcers at Esentepe district of Istanbul by Em-
Fig. 1. Site plan of Emekli Subay Evleri.
lak Kredi Bankasi (Bank of Real Estate & Credit) (see Fig. 1). There are two block types in this housing settlement. “A” type of blocks have eight Ooors, including the ground Ooor. This type has a lift and two dwelling units on every Ooor. The second “B” type blocks also have two dwelling units and 1ve Ooors, including the ground Ooor. This block type does not have a lift. The other space organizations in both housing blocks are similar. The evaluation of di0erent levels in the case study had been shown in the last column of the control lists. As seen in Table 1, the mass housing settlement evaluated in the case study could be de1ned as ‘adaptable’, since it has suitable and adaptable scores in this level. There are some stairs and narrow sidewalks in the settlement as seen in the site plan. However, these problems can be solved easily. The second evaluation in the case study has been realized on the level of ‘near environment of housing blocks’ which covers parking lots, entrance ramps, building entrances and entrance doors. This level could also be called ‘adaptable’ because it achieved ‘adaptable’ and ‘suitable’ scores in this category. The third level of evaluation covers the lateral and vertical circulation elements of the housing blocks. This level has sub-categories such as corridors, stairs and ramps, lifts, doors and windows and materials. There are some problems in three subcategories of the third level. The 1rst problem is the narrow Ooor halls which are not suitable for the turning requirements of wheelchairs. There is no possibility to change this condition. Therefore this part of the buildings can only be used by wheelchair users being assisted by another person. As seen in Fig. 2, “A” type housing blocks have lifts but the height between the Ooor of entrance and the level of lift is 150 cms. Therefore a ramp is required for the
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Fig. 2. Plans of the housing units.
accessibility of the lifts. Since there is not enough space for suitable inclined ramps; only portable stair lifts can provide access to the lifts from the entrance hall. The lifts of “A” type of blocks can only be called adaptable in this condition. On the other hand, “B” type housing blocks do not have lifts and there is no space to install one. Therefore, the B type housing blocks were de1ned as “not-adaptable”. The other conditions in this level of assessment could be de1ned as “adaptable”. However, the overall score of the B type housing blocks is “not-adaptable” in this case. The last assessment level of the model in this study is accessibility and usability of spaces. As seen in Table 4 the housing units have mainly “adaptable scores” in this level. There are problems about turning of wheelchairs in some spaces shown in the plans of housing units. However, this problem can be solved with the help of another person in the house. There are some narrow doors which could be replaced by suitable ones.
their everyday lives. Therefore adapting existing housing environments would be more convenient for the handicapped, instead of planning and designing new settlements or buildings for them since isolated settlements or buildings would have negative psychological e0ects on the handicapped. There are many elderly and disabled people who have to cope with housing environments that make them sad and hopeless since they cannot participate as the others participate in the environment. Equal accessibility had been considered in this study in order to obtain an assessment for a barrier-free housing environment which would be based on equal opportunity for everyone. Therefore, Oexibility in housing design gains importance in adapting existing housing settlement to be accessible and usable by wheelchair users. Adaptation of existing houses to suit the requirements of wheelchair users is a very diMcult issue since many existing housing settlements like the one in the case study did not have Oexible approaches.
4. Conclusion
References
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