RYA Sailability Brief Guides

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1 2 RYA Sailability Brief Guides Paths, ramps, and stairways No.2 The Equality Act of 2010 (which supercedes the Disability Discrimination Acts) places duties on service-providers in respect of disabled people. Sailing providers must make reasonable provision for disabled people and not offer them a lesser standard of service by reason of their disability. The duties are the same whether the provider is a voluntary organisation, commercial enterprise or statutory body and whether the service is provided for free or if there is a charge.this brief guide is not intended to be a definitive specification for the provision of facilities for disabled people but aims to act as a source of information for sailing providers in order that they may know the type of provision that is expected.

2 Providing appropriate facilities It is important that disabled people are not inhibited when they enter and move around a building; accordingly, paths, ramps, and stairways should be designed in a correct manner to be safe and easy to negotiate. Guidance on the standards to which facilities for disabled people should be constructed is found in British Standard 8300:2009 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people Code of practice. BS8300 offers guidance for the adaptation and improvement of existing buildings. Where a new building is being constructed or an existing building is receiving extensive reordering work then Part M of the Building Regulations applies. Disability legislation (primarily the Equality Act of 2010) requires service-providers to anticipate that disabled people will wish to use their buildings and places duties on service-providers to (a) make reasonable provision for the needs of disabled people, and (b) to not offer a lesser standard of service to a disabled person by reason of their disability. The information given in this Brief Guide will assist building managers in making good provision for disabled people. The information given is not exhaustive; for more detailed information please see BS8300, Part M of the Building Regulations, the Equality Act, and other documents. Paths and building approaches. The approach to a building from a road, car park or other point should be free from steps, stairs, revolving doors, or other barriers which might create difficulties for a disabled person. Seats or resting places should be provided at 50-metre intervals on pathways. Access routes should be a minimum of 1800mm wide and should not have any overhanging branches or building features below a height of 2100mm. If the access route, of necessity, has to be less than 1800mm in width then passing places should be provided every 25 metres. If the path width must be narrowed for a short distance (i.e. to pass around a tree or lamp-post) the minimum width should not be less than 1200mm. A pathway should have a solid surface with a drainage crossfall of not more than 1 in 50 and drain gratings should be offset from the main pathway wherever possible; slots in drain gratings should be no more than 13mm wide. Dished channels should not be built into a walkway. Cobbles, compressed earth, or unbonded gravel should not be used. The pathway should be level wherever possible but, if the lie of the land has a gradient, a ramp as described in section 2 should be provided. Joints between paving units should not have width of more than 10mm or a difference in level of more than 5mm. Street furniture (signposts, litter bins, seats etc.) should be sited outside the main access route. If it is not possible to locate furniture outside the route it should contrast in colour with its surroundings. Posts and columns should contrast in colour with their surroundings and, ideally, should incorporate a contrast-colour band 50mm high at

3 1500mm above ground level. Bollards, etc., should not be located in a walkway, should be at least 1000mm high, should not be linked with chains, etc., should contrast in colour with their surroundings, and have a contrast-colour band near the top as described above. As a guide, the approximate degree of contrast colour should be 30 in a range where white is 1 and black is 100. Ramps and stairways Vertical movement is often a problem for people with mobility challenges and those responsible for building management should do all they can to ensure that everyone can change level easily, safely, and with dignity. There are two main non-mechanical methods of vertical movement - stairs and ramps. Generally, stairs should only be used for large changes of level such as between two floors of a building, ramps with associated steps as an alternative should be used for all smaller changes of level but sometimes may be used for inter-floor movement if a lift system is impracticable. All facilities for disabled people should be designed in such a way that they may be used by an individual without assistance, therefore ramps and stairways should not be so steep or narrow that they inhibit easy use or are dangerous. There are always risks when using ramps or stairs; building managers should do all that is possible to minimise hazard. Surfaces should be kept clean and well-maintained; external stairs and ramps should be kept free of rubbish, dropped leaves, snow, and ice. Internal stairs and ramps which have a carpet or flooring-material surface should be regularly checked and any damaged areas replaced immediately. Any place where there is a change in level should be well-signposted, properly lit, and have tactile flooring for the use of people with impaired vision. There is often a temptation to construct a ramp out of wood in order to save money; this is not a good practice. Wooden ramps can quickly become very slippery, are often built to be too steep, and deteriorate quickly. It is best to build a permanent ramp to approved standards. A ramp that is too steep creates difficulties for disabled people and may be also be dangerous to everyone. Some organisations will construct a wooden temporary ramp which is put over a doorstep or a small number of steps when it is necessary. This practice means that a wheelchair user would not be able to negotiate the steps when the ramp is not in place. To bring the ramp out only when a wheelchair user is expected or calls for assistance, denies the freedom of that individual to come or go as he or she pleases; this may be seen as contrary to disability legislation. It is best to create permanentlyaccessible facilities that are available to everyone all the time. Ramps The location of a ramp should be indicated by appropriate signs that are visible as an individual approaches a building and incorporate the International Symbol for Access. The gradient of ramp for disabled people should not exceed that given in current guidelines (see Table 1), the ramp should have a non-slip surface, properly-designed handrails, level platforms at each end, and respite levels at appropriate distances. A ramp that is built against a wall should be designed in such a way that there are no projecting obstructions such as drain downpipes or building piers. If such obstructions

4 exist the width of the ramp should be in addition to any projection and the handrail should be mounted in such a way that the projection is avoided by the rail. Windows adjacent to the ramp should have restricted opening in order to avoid obstructing the ramp. Wherever possible the ramp should be supplemented with steps as some ambulant disabled people will prefer to use these. Ramp design guidelines specify that the minimum overall width of the floor surface of the ramp should be 1500mm with a clear 1200mm between handrails. If the distance between the handrails exceeds 2500mm the ramp should be divided into two with one part having a surface width of not less than 1500mm. A ramp should have the lowest practical gradient within the range 1 in 20 to 1 in 12, minimum gradients are indicated in Table 1. No individual flight of a ramp should have a going of more than ten metres or a rise of more than 500mm. If a series of ramp flights rises, in total, more than two metres an alternative means of step-free access such as an enclosed lift, protected from the weather, should be provided. Ramps which are longer than 10000mm should have a respite level at every 10000mm. The respite level should be flat and at least 1500mm in length. In every instance ramps should have a level landing at both top and bottom, these should be at least 1500mm in length clear of any gate or doorswing. Where a ramp makes a turn, a level landing should be provided which is at least 1500mm long and which maintains the width of the ramp. The surface material of all ramps and landings should be slip-resistant and in contrast colour to their surroundings with no confusing changes of colour or texture. Tactile paving should be provided at the ends of each flight of the ramp. An external ramp that is not protected from the weather should have a drainage crossfall with a maximum gradient of 1 in 50. All ramps should have a 100mm upstand on any open edge to prevent a wheelchair from rolling off and to offer guidance for those using a White Stick. If there is no handrail above the upstand a suitable barrier should be provided to prevent users from falling. The upstand should be in a contrast colour to the surface of the ramp. It is recommended that the area under a ramp be enclosed; if this is not possible a protective guard-rail or a continuous barrier (i.e. a raised flower-bed) should be provided. Adequate lighting should be provided to the ramp and care should be taken to ensure that confusing shadows or glare are not created by ramp lights. All ramps, even the very shortest, should have handrails which should be fitted to both sides of a ramp. A handrail should be of non-slip material of 45-50mm outside diameter. The rail should be fixed in such a way that there is a minimum space of 60-75mm between the rail and any adjacent wall and be supported centrally from the bottom to allow a user s hand to slide along without obstruction. Handrails should be mounted between 900 and 1000mm from the floor surface of the ramp with a second handrail at 600mm for the benefit of children, smaller people, and wheelchair-users. Handrails should continue across all landings, respite levels, and curves and should extend 300mm beyond the end of the ramp following the changes in the gradient of the ramp surface. A positive end should be provided to the handrail preferably by using

5 a closed curve. The colour of the handrail should be easily-distinguishable from its surroundings. The handrail should be fixed in such a way that it is able to bear the full weight of a person and to act as an aid to a wheelchair-user who may use the rail to pull up the ramp or to assist in braking when descending. Table 1 Recommended maximum ramp gradients Length Maximum Maximum of flight gradient rise 10 metres 1:20 500mm 8 metres 1:18 444mm 6 metres 1:16 375mm 4 metres 1:14 285mm Less than 2 metres 1:12 166mm Stairs A stairway can be dangerous to people with impaired vision or mobility if it is poorlyconstructed or maintained. It is vital that stairways are uniform, well-marked, and safe. The minimum overall width of a stairway should be no less than 1200mm with a clear 1000mm between handrails. Where the width of a stairway exceeds 2000mm the flight should be divided into two or more sections with the distance between handrails being between 1000 and 2000mm. The maximum rise of any one flight of stairs should not exceed 3600mm, stairways with a large overall rise should have a landing every 3600mm. Treads should be between 350mm and 450mm in depth and should not taper across their length. Risers should be between 150mm and 180mm in height. A colour-contrast nosing of slip-resistant material should be fitted to the edge of each step, the nosing being 50 to 65mm on the edge of the tread and 30 to 55mm on the top of the rise. Handrails should be fitted to both sides of the stairs and should be of non-slip material of 45-50mm outside diameter. The rail should be fixed in such a way that there is a minimum space of 60-75mm between the rail and any adjacent wall and be supported from the bottom to allow a user s hand to slide along without obstruction. Handrails should be mounted between 900 and 1000mm above the nosing line, should continue across all landings, and should extend 300mm beyond the end of the ramp. A positive end should be provided to the handrail preferably by using a closed curve. The colour of the handrail should be easilydistinguishable from its surroundings. All flights of stairs should have a flat landing at their top and bottom with its length being not less than the width of the steps. It is useful to people with visual impairments if the floor surface of a landings has a textured warning surface. Landings that are not protected from the weather should have a drainage crossfall not exceeding 1 in 50 in gradient.

6 In buildings with more than two storeys there should be floor numbers at each level. The visual signage should be supplemented by a tactile sign; all tactile signs should be mounted at a uniform height throughout the building. Staircases in buildings where young children are likely to be present should have safety gates fitted at top and bottom. Steps and stairs Handrails

7 Awareness It is vital that the right attitude of mind is adopted when you open your club to disabled people. RYA Sailability offers Awareness Training courses which help club members to have a positive attitude towards people with a wide range of disabilities. Having the correct attitude is vital and stops your precious facilities from losing their value. Awareness Training equips you to have the mindset which makes your club a place which welcomes people with disabilities. Awareness Training courses take place regularly in various places throughout Britain, please contact RYA Sailability at the address in this Guide for information on a course near you. Further guidance RYA Sailability is able to assist with creating better levels of accessibility for people with a wide range of disabilities. Further information is available from the address on the front of this Brief Guide. Short video presentations on access issues are available at Published by RYA Sailability RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble, Southampton. SO41 4YA Telephone Sailability@rya.org.uk This Brief Guide is intended only to give an indication of the facilities that should be provided for disabled people in sailing clubs and centres; it is not definitive design guidance or a statement of the law. This Guide is one of a series of six which include infomation on wheelchair-accessible toilets, ramps and stairways, car parking and paths, pontoon and landing stages, signage and colour schemes, and on fire escapes for disabled people. RYA Sailability is able to offer guidance on the ways in which sailing clubs and centres can be improved to offer better provision for disabled people and in which club and centre managers can discharge their duties under disability legislation. Contact RYA Sailability at the address in this Brief Guide for more information.