anthropometry for physically disabled people

1. BASIC ANTHROPOMETRY FOR
PHYSICALLY DISABLED PEOPLE
`

2. Major Five types of physically disabled
people
• (a) Wheelchair users (b) People with limited walking
abilities (c) The sightless (d) The partially sighted (e)
The hearing impaired
• Other categories that may benefit to some extent
from the proposed measures include the mentally
disabled, people susceptible to physical fits, people
with extreme physical proportions, and people with
functional disabilities of the arm or hand.

3. • There are two types of considerations made :- I.
URBAN DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS This section deals with the design
requirements of open spaces, recreational areas and pedestrian
routes. It introduces solutions to the principal problems in the design
of an accessible outdoor environment. 1. OBSTRUCTIONS 2.
SIGNAGE 3. STREET FURNITURE 4. PATHWAYS 5. CURB RAMPS 6.
PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS 7. PARKING

4. • II. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
• This section deals with the design requirements of
vertical and horizontal access in both new and existing
constructions. It is subdivided into 10 chapters:
• 1. RAMPS 2. ELEVATORS 3. PLATFORM LIFTS 4.
STAIRS 5. RAILINGS AND HANDRAILS 6. ENTRANCES 7.
VESTIBULES 8. DOORS 9. CORRIDORS 10. REST ROOMS

5. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Obstructions include street furniture, traffic signs, direction signs, street plans, bollards, plants,
trees, shop awnings and advertising signs, etc.
Obstructions should be placed outside the path of travel wherever possible.
Obstructions in the pathway should be easy to detect, and if possible, should be placed along
one continuous line.
Protruding elements should be avoided.
The minimum width of a clear unobstructed path should be 0.90 m.
OBSTRUCTIONS
1.Obstructions on the pathway surface
Obstructions on the pathway surface should have one of the following design
features in order to be detected by the cane of a sightless person:
(a) A straight shape rising from the pathway surface .
(b) A 0.10 m raised platform .
(c) Tactile warning markings on the ground around the obstruction. The warning
markings should extend over a width of at least 0.60 m outside the projected area
at the base of the obstacle

9. 2.Overhanging obstructions
Overhanging signs in accessible pathways should be mounted at a minimum clear
height of 2.00m to allow a sightless person to pass safely .
Overhanging vegetation should be clipped to a minimum clear height of 2.00 m .
Undetectable obstacles mounted lower than 2.00 m may project a maximum
distance of 0.10m into the pathway. Otherwise they should be recessed or
covered

10. 3.Garbage bins
Garbage bins attached to lampposts should not face the line of pedestrian flow so as to
minimize collisions and should be painted in a contrasting colour so that people with limited
vision may easily identify them.

11. 4.Spaces below ramps and stairs
Spaces below ramps and stairs should be blocked out completely by protective rails or raised
curbs or marked with a tactile surface .

12. Wires
Stabilizing wires and wire netting should be painted in a contrasting colour or blocked out.
Bollards should be painted in a contrasting colour or in coloured stripes.
The distance between guiding posts should be around 1.20 m.

13. Maps and information panels
Maps and information panels at building entrances, along roads, and on public buildings should
be placed at a height between 0.90 m and 1.80 m

14. STREET FURNITURE
Street furniture includes bus stops, benches, mail boxes, lampposts, signboards, telephone
booths, public toilets, newspaper kiosks, planting tubs, garbage bins, etc.
1.Resting facilities should be provided at regular intervals between 100.00 m and 200.00
m

15. 2.Resting spaces with benches should allow a minimum of 1.20 m of adjoining space for a
wheelchair .
3.Public seats and benches should be approximately 0.45 m above floor level, with backrests at
approximately 0.70 m above floor level .

16. 4.The height of a table should be between 0.75 m and 0.90 m and the minimum depth under
the table should be 0.60 m, in order to fit a wheelchair under all sides.

17. 5.The minimum unobstructed area in front of the telephone counter should be 1.20 m x 0.85
m, allowing either a parallel or a frontal approach.The coin slot should be mounted at an
accessible comfortable height between 0.90 m and 1.20 m.
The telephone cord length should be at least 0.75m.

18. 7.Mailbox slots should be mounted at an accessible height between 0.90 m and 1.20 m .
8.Drinking fountain spouts should be located at an approximate height of 0.90 m.
Drinking fountains can have two spouts located at different heights, one convenient to
wheelchair users at approximately 0.85 m, and one at approximately 0.95 m for non-disabled
people.

19. 1.To replace missing natural guidelines fill gaps of more than 10.00 m in a guide strip.
PATHWAYS
2.To guide to pedestrian crossings
Guide strips should be laid in a simple and logical manner and should not be
located close to manholes or drains to avoid confusing sightless people.
Guide strips should have a colour which contrasts with the surrounding surface
for the benefit of people with sight problems.
The guide strip ridge profile should be parallel to the main direction of
movement and should be flush with the top layer of the adjacent road surface so
as not to hinder people with mobility problems.

21. 3.Where travel routes change direction, there should be a gradual change in the direction of the
guiding strip
4.Tactile tiling on the pedestrian route of travel should be placed at the following locations:
(a) On a guide strip where alternative routes exist or at a junction of guide strips .
(b) At a pedestrian crossing .
(c) Around obstructions which are difficult for the sightless to detect .
A tactile guiding area, preferably of rubber tiles with minimum dimensions of 0.90 m x 0.90
m, should be constructed in a guide strip at cross pathways where the route branches off in
several directions

23. 5.Curbs
The height of a curb should be between 0.07 m and 0.15m.
6.Width
The minimum width of an unobstructed pathway should be 0.90 m.
The minimum width of a two-way wheelchair traffic passage is 1.50 m. The preferable width
is 1.80 m.

24. 7.Gratings
Gratings can be hazardous to wheelchair users, cane and crutch users, parents with prams and
women with high heels.
Manholes, drains and gratings should generally be placed outside the pedestrian pathway.
Gratings should be flush with the pathway surface and should have narrow patterns of not more
than 13 mm.
Elongated grating openings should be perpendicular to the pedestrian travel path.
8.Guards
For changes in level of more than 13 mm between the pathway and the surrounding
surface, guards, upstands or other types of barriers should be used.
Guards with a minimum height of 0.15 m should be used to separate pathways from
planting areas, pools and landscape features .
The edges of the pathway should be beveled wherever changes in level between 6 mm
and 13 mm exist between the pathway and the surrounding area ,Landscaping

25. Thorny and poisonous plants should not be used immediately adjacent to pedestrian paths.
Plants that drop seeds and leaves creating a hazard underfoot should be avoided.

26. For parking facilities of less than 50 cars, at least one accessible parking space should be
provided in every parking facility.
For parking facilities of a maximum number of 400 spaces, accessible parking spaces should at
least be provided in the ratio of 1:50 (one accessible space for every 50 spaces).
For parking facilities of more than 400 spaces, at least 8 accessible parking spaces should be
provided plus 1 space for each additional increment of 100 cars over 400.
1.Number
PARKING
2.Location
For outdoor parking, accessible parking spaces should be located not more than 50 m from
accessible building entrances.
For indoor parking, accessible parking spaces should be located right next to accessible
elevators, or as close as possible to exits.
The ends of rows are preferable for vans with lifts for wheelchair users.

27. 3.Dimensions
The minimum width of an accessible parking space is 3.60 m. The recommended width is 3.90 m
.
An access aisle 1.20 m wide can be located between two ordinary parking spaces .
For indoor parking, the minimum height clearance for vans with hydraulic lifts is 2.40 m.
Where parking spaces are angled, the extra space at the end of a row can be used as a parking
aisle for disabled persons . 3.5 Parking curb
If a curb exists, curb ramps should be provided to link accessible parking spaces to accessible
pathways .
If no curb exists, a textured surface at least 0.60 m wide is needed to separate the pathway from
the vehicular area; otherwise bollards should be used (see Street Furniture). Pre-cast
wheelstops can also be used to set apart a passage at least 0.90 m wide .

32. 1.Ramp configuration
Ramps can have one of the following configurations:
(a) Straight run,
(b) 90 turn,
(c) Switch back or 180 turn .
RAMPS

33. 2.Width
Width varies according to use, configuration and slope.
The minimum width should be 0.90 m.
3.The maximum recommended slope of ramps is 1:20. Steeper slopes may be allowed in special
cases depending on the length to be covered .
Maximum slope Maximum length Maximum rise
1:20 i.e., 9% - -
1:16 i.e., 6% 8m 0.50m
1:14 i.e., 7% 5m 0.35m
1:12 i.e., 8% 2m 0.15m
1:10 i.e., 10% 1.25m 0.12m
1:08 i.e., 12% o.5m 0.06m

34. 4.Landings
Ramps should be provided with landings for resting, maneuvering and avoiding excessive speed.
Landings should be provided every 10.00 m, at every change of direction and at the top and
bottom of every ramp.
The landing should have a minimum length of 1.20 m and a minimum width equal to that of the
ramp
5.Handrail
A protective handrail at least 0.40 m high must be placed along the full length of ramps.
For ramps more than 3.00 m wide, an intermediate handrail could be installed .
The distance between handrails when both sides are used for gripping should be between 0.90
m and 1.40 m .

35. 6.Surface
The ramp surface should be hard and non-slip.
Carpets should be avoided.
7.Mechanical Ramps
Mechanical ramps can be used in large public buildings but are not recommended for use by
persons with physical impairments.
If the ramp is to be used by a wheelchair-confined person, the slope should not exceed 1:12.
The maximum width should be 1.00 m to avoid slipping.

36. ELEVATORS
1.Elevator cab
The minimum internal elevator dimensions, allowing for one wheelchair passenger alone, are
1.00 m x 1.30 m .
The door opening should not be less than 0.80 m.
The inside of the elevator should have a handrail on three sides mounted 0.80 to 0.85 m from
the floor .
The maximum tolerance for stop precision should be 20 mm.
2.Control panel
The control panel can be mounted at one of the alternative locations shown in figure 3.
For ease of reach, the control panel should be mounted 0.90 m to 1.20 m from the floor .
Control buttons should be in an accessible location and illuminated. Their diameter should be
no smaller than 20 mm.
The numerals on the floor selector buttons should be embossed so as to be easily identifiable by
touch.
3.Call buttons
For ease of reach, call buttons should be mounted 0.90 m to 1.20 m from the floor . 3.5 Floor
identifiers
Tactile numerals should be placed on both sides of the door jambs at an approximate height
of 1.50 m to help a lone sightless passenger to identify the floor reached . 3.6 Hall signal
The elevator hall signal should be placed at an approximate height of 1.80 m .

37. 4.EXISTING CONSTRUCTIONS
The minimum acceptable size of an existing elevator cab, allowing for a single wheelchair
passenger, is 0.95 m x 1.25 m. Smaller cabs should be replaced.
The minimum acceptable width of an existing elevator door opening is 0.75 m.
Call buttons and control panels mounted higher than the recommended height may be left in
place if they are within 1.40 m of the floor, this being the maximum reach of a wheelchair user.
Controls mounted higher than 1.40 m should be replaced.

39. STAIRS
1.General
Differences in level should be illuminated or minimized as much as possible for the comfort of
disabled people.
A complementary ramped route, elevator or lift should be provided where there are steps in an
otherwise accessible path.
All steps should be uniform.
Circular stairs and stepped landings should be avoided .
2.Width
The minimum width of a stairway should be 0.90 m for one-way traffic and 1.50 m for two-way
traffic.
For indoor stairs, the riser should be between 0.12 m and 0.18 m, and the tread between 0.28 m
and 0.35 m.
For outdoor stairs, the maximum riser should be 0.15 m and the minimum tread should be 0.30
m.
3.Landing
An intermediate landing should be provided when the stairs cover a difference in level of more
than 2.50 m.
The length of the landing should be at least 1.20 m extending along the full width of the stairs.

40. 4.Nosing
Sharp edges and overhanging nosing should not be used for treads.
Nosing should be flush or rounded and should not project more than 40 mm.
3.5 Handrails
Handrails must be installed on both sides of the stairs and around the landing for gripping.
For stairs more than 3.00 m wide, one or more intermediate handrails could be provided .
The distance between the handrails when both sides are used for gripping should be between
0.90 m and 1.40 m .
Handrails must extend a distance between 0.30 m and 0.45 m at the top and bottom of the
stairs .
3.6 Tactile marking
A textural marking strip should be placed at the top and bottom of the stairs and at
intermediate landings to alert sightless people as to the location of the stairs.
The tactile marking strip should be at least 0.60 m wide and should extend over the full width of
the stairs.
To guide users with poor vision, the colour of the strip should contrast with the surrounding
surface. 3.7 Surface
Landings, treads and nosing should be slip-resistant and free of projections.
Exterior stairs should be pitched forward at 10 mm per metre to drain surface water.
Slip-resistant stair nosing should be used to fix carpets on stairs.
3.8 Emergency stairs
Emergency stairs should be identified by tactile markings.

41. Mechanical stairs (escalators)
Mechanical stairs can be provided with an adaptable tread at least 1.20 m long, if they are to be
used by persons confined to wheelchairs .
The edges of escalators should be painted in a contrasting colour for the benefit of poor- sighted
users.
5. EXISTING CONSTRUCTIONS
When the configuration of the nosing cannot be modified, slip-resistant strip scould be applied
to the nosing as an alternative solution .
Slip-resistant strips should be 40 mm wide and should not extent more than 1 mm above the
tread surface.
To guide people with sight problems, the colour of the strips should contrast with that of the
stairs.

43. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 1. General
Safety guards or railings should be installed around hazardous areas, stairs, ramps, accessible
roofs, mezzanines, galleries, balconies and raised platforms more than 0.40 m high.
On stairways, windows positioned less than 1.00 m from the landing should have railings.
Handrails should be installed to assist disabled persons in bathrooms and toilets .
Spacing between the vertical and horizontal bars of railings should be narrow for the safety of
children.
Handrails should not obstruct the path of travel.
RAILINGS AND HANDRAILS
2.Height
To facilitate use by ambulant disabled and elderly people, handrails should be mounted
between 0.85 m and 0.95 m above the finished floor level.
For the benefit of wheelchair users, a second handrail can be mounted between 0.70 m and
0.75 m from the floor.
To facilitate use by children and short people, a third handrail can be mounted at a height of
0.60 m.
To guide sightless people using a long cane, a rail should be mounted at a height between 0.10
m and 0.15 m , or a low curb should be installed at a height between 50 mm and 75 mm . Low
curbs also act as wheelstops.

44. 3.Handrails for ramps and stairs
Handrails should continue uninterrupted (except for doorways) on both sides and around the
landing.
Handrails should extend horizontally for a distance between 0.30 m and 0.45 m at the top and
bottom of stairs and ramps, except in places where extensions could obstruct the pedestrian
flow .
For stairs or ramps more than 3.00 m wide, a continuous intermediate handrail could be
provided .
4.Wall-mounted handrails
The space between the handrail and the wall should be between 40 mm and 50 mm for smooth
walls and 60 mm for rough textured walls .
Where handrails are fully recessed into walls, a space of at least 0.15 m should be allowed
between the top of the rail and the top of the recess .
5.Tactile marking
For emergency exit stairs or ramps, a contrasting tactile strip at least 0.90 m long should be
applied to the top and bottom edges of the handrail to alert the partially sighted.

47. ENTRANCES
1.Each accessible entrance should be
connected by accessible pathways to
accessible indoor or outdoor parking
areas, local public transit stops and
drop-off areas .

48. 2.Entrance landing
Where the entrance door opens outward, the minimum landing dimensions should comply
with.
Where the entrance door opens inward, the minimum landing dimensions should comply with.
The surface of the landing should have a slope of 2% for drainage.
The finish material should be non-slippery.
Jute door mats should be avoided. When used however, the upper surface of the mat should be
level with the floor finish.
Sheltered landings are preferable.

49. 1.General
Vestibule entrance doors can be either the sliding type or the swinging type.
For swinging doors, the door mechanism should allow the maximum opening swing.
2. Layout
The layout of two swinging doors in a series can be one of the following:
(a) Outward-swinging, (b) Double-swinging, (c) Swinging in the same direction , (d) Inward-
swinging .
VESTIBULES
3.EXISTING CONSTRUCTIONS
For narrow vestibules either of the following solutions can be employed:
(a) Replace swinging doors with sliding doors;
(b) Change the direction of the door swing so that both doors can be made to swing outwards, if
possible .
(c) Install double-swinging doors for small exit vestibules with a minimum width of 1.20 m.
(d) Remove the inside or second door.
(e) Enlarge the existing vestibule if possible .

52. DOORS
1.General
Accessible doors should be so designed as to permit operation by one person in a single motion
with little effort.
Power-operated doors are the best for people with disabilities. The activator system should be
automatic or placed within easy reach.
An accessible door should have the following features: a sign, a door handle, an extra pull
handle, glazing and a kick plate.
The room nameplate in Braille should be
Incorporated in to the signage within a range of 1200
mm to 1400 mm.
All hanging signs must be suspended atleast 2000
Mm from the finished floorlevel so as not to cause
any obstruction to the user.
All signs fixed flat on the wall must not project more
than 100 mm from the wall.
Signs accompanied by a control panel (suchas lift buttons) must be within easy reach of a
wheelchair user. The allowable range is 900 to 1200 mm above the finished floor level.

54. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMMON MAN AND HANDICAPED MAN

56. CLEAR FLOOR OR GROUND SPACE FOR WHEELCHAIRS
Theminimumclearfloororgroundspa
cerequired
To accommodate a single,
stationary wheelchair
And occupant is 900 mm x 1200
mm. An
Allocation of 1200 mm x 1200 mm
would facilitate
Both forward and side approaches.
900
1200

57. 1200
400
1200
If the clear floor space only allows
forward
approach to an object, the
maximum high
forward reach allowed shall be 1200
mm. The
minimum low forward reach is 400
mm.
REACH RANGES
Forward Reach

58. 2.If the high forward reach is over
an obstruction
500 mm deep the reach and
clearances shall
be 1100 mm.
500
1100
900

59. SIDE REACH
1.If the clear floor space reach allows
parallel
approach by a person in a wheelchair, the
maximum high side reach allowed shall be
1300
mm and the low side reach shall be no less than
250 mm above the finished floor.
750
1350
250

60. 2.If the side reach is over an obstruction 500 mm deep and 850 mm high, then the max. side
reach is 1200 mm.
750
600
850
1200