I wanted to learn about how to ensure a space is accessible. I looked around a bit and didn’t find much that was too useful. So I asked Kelly F, she sent me towards Access On, a site maintained by the Ontario government about complying with provincial laws. I found their information about accessible spaces vague, with phrases like “adequate headroom” and “wide enough” not giving me what I really need, which is numbers.
The Association of Brethren Caregivers has a more concise and to-the-point list of considerations for congressional accessibility. The list is appropriate to many other situations.
The ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities provides an extensive list of suggestions for making physical spaces easier to get around. I found some of the info I was looking for here, particularly regarding hallways, which I was wondering about:
4.3.3 Width. The minimum clear width of an accessible route shall be 36 in (915 mm) except at doors (see 4.13.5 and 4.13.6). If a person in a wheelchair must make a turn around an obstruction, the minimum clear width of the accessible route shall be as shown in Fig. 7(a) and (b).
Look at the great pictures referred to in the above:
Figure 7(a)
Accessible Route
90 Degree Turn
A 90 degree turn can be made from a 36 inch (915 mm) wide passage into another 36 inch (915 mm) passage if the depth of each leg is a minimum of 48 inches (1220 mm) on the inside dimensions of the turn.
Figure 7(b)
Accessible Route
Turns around an Obstruction
A U-turn around an obstruction less than 48 inches (1220 mm) wide may be made if the passage width is a minimum of 42 inches (1065 mm) and the base of the U-turn space is a minimum of 48 inches (1220 mm) wide.
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