Schedule XI(Bye-law 31) Facilities for physically handicapped persons

1. These bye-laws shall apply to the Physically handicapped persons having the following disabilities.

a) Non-ambulatory disabilities: impairments that, regardless of cause or manifestation, for all practical purposes, confine individuals to wheelchairs.

b) Semi-ambulatory disabilities: Impairments that cause individuals to walk with difficulty or insecurity. Individuals using braces or crutches, amputees, arthritics, spastics, and those with pulmonary and cardiac ills may be semi-ambulatory.

c) Hearing disabilities: Deafness or hearing handicaps that make an individual insecure in public areas because he is unable to communicate or hear warning signals.

d) Sight disabilities: Total blindness or impairments affecting sight to the extent that the individual functioning in public areas is insecure or exposed to danger.

2. Access path/walk way: The width of access path/walk way from plot entry and surface parking to the building entry shall not be less than 1.80 m. It shall not have a gradient exceeding 5%.

3. Surface parking: Atleast two car spaces shall be provided at surface level near entrance with maximum travel distance of 30.00 metres from the building entrance.

4. Space for wheel chair users: Adequate space shall be kept for the free movement of wheel chairs. The standard size of wheel chairs shall be taken as 1050 mm x 750 mm. The doors shall have a minimum width of 900 mm, to facilitate the free movement of wheel chairs.

5. Approach to plinth level : Atleast one entrance shall have approach through a ramp. The ramp shall have a minimum width of 1.80 metre with maximum gradient of 1:10.

6. Entrance landing: Entrance landing shall be provided adjacent to ramp with the minimum dimension of 1.80 m x 2.00 m.

7. Corridors: The minimum width of corridors shall be 1.80 m.

8. Staircases: The minimum width of staircases shall be 1.50 metres. The minimum number of risers on a flight shall be limited to 12. Size of treads shall not be less than 30 cm and the height of risers shall not be more than 15 cm.

9. Lifts: a) Wherever lifts are required to be installed as per bye-laws, provision of atleast one lift shall be made for the wheel chair users with the following cage dimensions recommended for passenger lifts of 13 persons capacity by Bureau of Indian Standards.

Clear internal depth 1100 mm (1.10 m)

Clear internal width 2000 mm (2.00 m)

Entrance door width 900 mm (0.90 m)

b) The lift lobby shall have a minimum inside measurement of 1.80m x 1.80m.

10. Toilets: One special water closet in a set of toilets shall be provided for the use of handicapped persons with wash basin keeping in view the following provisions.

a) The minimum size of toilet shall be 1.50 m x 1.75 m.

b) The maximum height of the W.C. seat shall be 0.50 m above the floor.

11. Hand rails: Hand rails shall be provided for ramps, staircases, lifts and toilets. The height of hand rails shall be normally 800 mm above the floor level. If the building is meant for the predominant use of children, the height of hand rails may be suitably altered.

12. Guiding/Warning floor material: The floor material to guide or to warn the visually impaired persons with a change of colour or material with conspicuously different texture and easily distinguishable from the rest of the surrounding floor materials is called guiding or warning floor material. The material with different texture shall give audiable signals with sensory warning when person moves on this surface with walking stick. The guiding/warning floor material is meant to give the directional effect or warn a person at critical places. This floor material shall be provided in the following areas.

a) The access path to the building and to the parking area.

b) The landing lobby towards the information board, reception, lifts, staircases and toilets.

c) At the beginning /end of walkway where there is vehicular traffic.

d) At the location abruptly changing in level and at the beginning/end of a ramp.

e) At the entrance /exit of the building.

13. Proper signage: Appropriate identification of specific facilities within a building for the handicapped persons should be done with proper signages. Visually impaired persons make use of other senses such as hearing and touch to compensate for the lack of vision; whereas visual signals shall benefit those with hearing disabilities.

Signs should be designed and located such that they are easily legible by using suitable letter size (not less than 20mm size). For visually impaired persons, information board in Braille should be installed on the wall at a suitable height and it should be possible to approach them closely. To ensure safe walking there should not be any protruding sign, which creates obstruction in walking.

The symbols/illustrations should be in contrasting colour and properly illuminated so that with limited vision may be able to differentiate amongst primary colours.