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Paths of Travel to Entrances

Suggested Barrier Removal and Other Details of Welcome

In setting priorities for removing barriers, an accessible approach and entrance are first on the list. ¹

Paths of Travel to Entrances is one area where there is substantial legal guidance for how to implement the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) offer very specific guidance on the accessible route, entrances and details of surfaces and hardware. The primary focus of the guidance is to accommodate people using wheelchairs. When you achieve accessibility for wheelchair users, many others will benefit.

Ideas and Considerations

• If the path has a change of level with only one stair or a short run of stairs, consider re-grading the landscape to a level entrance. This has been accomplished at historic sites, chapels and homes to eliminate the need for a ramp or separate accessible entrances.

  figure a. courtesy of the Institute of Human Centered Design (formerly known as Adaptive Environments)

  figure b. courtesy of the Institute of Human Centered Design (formerly known as Adaptive Environments)

   
• Safety can be compromised by traffic on an accessible route in a heavily traveled area. Consider the location of an accessible route in relation to cars and trucks. If a driver’s line of sight cannot spot an adult at a seated height or a child, consider relocating the path of travel.
• Maintain the surface of accessible routes. If the path has broken paving or other unevenness, repair or replace the paving or fill small bumps and breaks with beveled edging material. If weeds routinely break through cracks in the paving, develop a schedule for managing them. Annie Berthold-Bond, Producer of Green Living Channels, recommends this “tried-and-true recipe” for weeds growing in sidewalk cracks and between bricks (not in the garden where the plants will be killed).
  • 1 cup salt
  • teaspoon liquid detergent
  • 1 gallon vinegar
  • Combine the ingredients in a bucket. Stir to blend. Sprinkle over weeds.

    courtesy of the Institute of Human Centered Design (formerly known as Adaptive Environments)

• Keep the path clear of weather-related impediments. Leaves, snow and ice are an inconvenience for everyone but, for people many types of functional limitations, unstable or obscured surfaces compromise basic safety and add to stress and anxiety. 
• Regularly clear the edges of pathways of creeping ground covers, leaves, ivy. This reduces the amount of difficulty to contain nature over the longer term. It reduces tripping hazards and increases clarity for a person with low vision.
• Assess existing ramps for both compliance and safety. Reinforce railings if necessary; assess the starting edge and bevel if the disparity with the approach is a ½ “ or more. In areas where dampness or ice and snow can make the ramp slippery, consider mixing sand with paint to create a more stable surface.
• Well-designed stairs outside and inside the building are important to everyone and critical for the safety of many people with functional issues.

Stairs that are easy to use are also safe stairs. For example, handrails on stairways are an important safety factor for all of us. But for many people, stairs are useless unless they have handrails. Stairways are a necessary evil, second only to bathrooms in incidence of accidents. As we become older, stairways become more and more difficult to use and their design becomes critical. The information in this section applies to both interior and exterior stairs.

Treads and Risers

Tread and riser designs are extremely important.

courtesy of the Institute of Human Centered Design (formerly known as Adaptive Environments)

Risers in excess of 6-7" are difficult for many people to climb and are dangerous tripping hazards.

Outside risers should have a maximum height of 4". The tread should be wide enough to allow your foot to rest completely on the tread without extending over the edge of the step. Where the total length of a stairway is limited, you can extend tread width by installing a projecting edge, or a nosing on the front of the treads. However, unless you install them properly, nosings can create tripping hazards, especially for people with leg paralysis.

Nosings should be beveled, either by the insertion of a piece of wood or metal that will allow toes to slide up and over or by carpeting to slant the nosing projection.

Open risers (found on many exterior wooden stairs) are a real hazard to most people because of their tripping potential, but you can easily close them off with pieces of wood.

Handrails

You should install handrails on both sides of your stairways so that anyone who has strength on only one side will have support going up or coming down. If you have a wide stairway or you can't provide handrails on both sides, you may want to install a single handrail in the center of the stairway. This installation allows users to keep the handrail on their strong side. Handrails should also extend beyond the top and the bottom nosings because users need their support to get on and off the last step.

Handrails should be designed so that users can grip the rail between thumb and fingers. This "grasp-ability" or opposition is essential to the safety of users.

Handrails should be mounted approximately 11/2" away from the wall to allow adequate grasping space for knuckles and fingers. They should be mounted to support up to 250 pounds at any point. You can secure a handrail by installing mollybolts through the wallboard or screwing directly into the upright studs behind the wall surface. Handrails made from wood should be properly finished to avoid splinters.

Stairway Lighting

Many stairway accidents can be prevented with lighting that shines uniformly on the steps and the top and bottom landings. Be certain, however, that your stairway lights don't create glare or distract persons who use the stairs. Indirect lighting (lighting that does not shine directly on the object being lighted), is the best alternative for stairways. ² 

 

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¹Adaptive Environments (1995) Checklist for Existing Facilities, produced by Adaptive Environments & Barrier-Free Environments for the US Department of Justice.

²http://www.homemods.org/library/drhome/stairs.html, Accessed 09.24.06.

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