Accessible Sports Facilities - 2010

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April Revision 003 Sport England 2010

AccessibleSports FacilitiesFormerly known as

Access for Disabled People

DesignGuidance Note

Updated 2010 guidance

Creating sporting opportunities in every community


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Accessible Sports Facilities DesignGuidance Note

April Revision 003 1 Sport England 2010

Foreword

Sport England believes that good acilities areundamental to developing sporting opportunitiesor everyone, rom the youngest beginner to theinternational class athlete. The buildings whetherlarge or small can encourage civic pride and assistthe process o revitalising deprived neighbourhoods.Facilities that are well designed built to last andwell maintained are a pleasure to use and give anample return on the time and money invested intheir construction and day to day use.

Good design needs to be based on a soundunderstanding o such issues as the current trendsand practices within individual sports,

developments in the sport and leisure industry andthe lessons to be learnt rom previously builtschemes.

Good design needs to be embraced within theearliest vision statement or a particular projectand enshrined in the initial brieing stage throughto the inal detailed speciications and operationalarrangements.

Sport England Design Guidance Notes aim to

promote a greater general understanding o overalldesign concepts, an appreciation o technicalissues and the critical actors that need to beconsidered in reaching the appropriate solution ora particular project. They also advise where urtherinormation, advice and expertise may be oundand point to benchmark examples.

Increase awareness ofgood design in sportsfacilities.

Help key buildingprofessions, clients,user representatives

and other stakeholdersto follow best practice.

Encourage welldesigned sportsfacilities that meet the

needs of sports andare a pleasure to use.

Sport Englands DesignGuidance Notes aim to:


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Contents

1.0 Introduction 4

Disabled People

The Legislative Context

2.0 The Inclusive Design Process 8

Accommodating Sports Chairs

Adapting and Improving Existing Buildings

Access Audits

3.0 Arriving At The Facility 12

External Features

4.0 The Entrance 19

Foyer/Reception Area

5.0 Internal Circulation 23

Corridors

Ramps

Stairs

Handrails

Doors

Lits

6.0 Emergency Escape 33

Fire Evacuation

7.0 Changing Areas 36

Main Changing Areas

Equipment

Unisex Accessible Changing

Showers

8.0 Toilet Provision 46

Unisex Accessible Provision

9.0 Social Areas 49Furniture

Servery

Vending Machines

10.0 Communication Systems 50

Public Telephones

Public Address Systems

Text Phones

Induction Loops

Inrared Systems

Controls

Signs

11.0 Finishes 53

Acoustic Requirements

Visual Requirements

12.0 Services 56

Electrical Services

Heating

Lighting

13.0 Management Issues 57

14.0 Spectator/Viewing Provision 58

15.0 Swimming Pools 60

Changing Areas

Showers

Route to the Pool

Pool Design

Access to the Water

Equipment and Environment

16.0 Sport-Specic Requirements 67

Boccia

Canoeing

Fitness Suite

Goalball

Power-liting

Sailing

Shooting

17.0 Wheelchair Sports 74

Athletics (indoor and outdoor)

Badminton

Basketball

Bowls

CricketFencing

Rugby

Table Tennis

Tennis

18.0 Access In The Countryside 79

19.0 Conclusion 79

20.0 Contacts 80


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Contents - Tables and Figures

Tables Description Page

Table 1 Disabled people participate and compete in a wide range o sports 5

Table 2 Accessible car parking spaces requirements 13

Table 3 External doors requirements 19

Table 4 Reception area requirements 20

Table 5 Internal doors requirements (except accessible toilets and changing rooms) 28

Table 6 Accessible Passenger lit car & door sizes 30

Table 7 Lits minimum clear door width requirements 31

Table 8 Changing areas requirements 44

Table 9 Accessible toilet provision requirements 46

Table 10 Family / disabled cubicles - requirements 61

Table 11 Pool equipment requirements 61

Table 12 Typical dimensions or sportschairs 74

Figures Description Page

Figure 1 Accessible car parking bays 13

Figure 2 Setting-down point 14

Figure 3 Designing an access route 15

Figure 4 Reception area 21

Figure 5 Reception desk - key dimensions 22

Figure 6 Internal circulation or acilities WITHOUT Sports Chair Zones. 24

Figure 7 Internal circulation or acilities WITH Sports Chair Zones. 25

Figure 8 Entrance lobby or sportshalls and tennis centres - minimum dimensions 25

Figure 9 Internal lobby or sportshalls and tennis centres - minimum dimensions 25

Figure 10 Doors clear widths 27

Figure 11 Doors side clearances 27

Figure 12 Doors location o vision panels 28

Figure 13 Lit critical details 30

Figure 14 Accessible team changing acilities 36

Figure 15 Accessible group changing acilities 37

Figure 16 Unisex accessible changing room 40

Figure 17 Unisex accessible changing room with ixed bench seat 40

Figure 18 Unisex accessible changing room with shower, WC and ixed bench seat 41

Figure 19 Unisex Changing Places Facility (see BS8300 igure 58) where assisted changeis to be provided.

42

Figure 20 Accessible changing cubicle within a main changing room 43

Figure 21 Key vertical dimensions to accessible shower area 44

Figure 22 Typical shower area or general use incorporating changing bench 45

Figure 23 Accessible shower cubicle incorporated into main shower cubicle area 45

Figure 24 Standard unisex accessible WC (let hand transer) 47

Figure 25 Sports Chair Zone unisex accessible WC with power operated door set 47

Figure 26 Key vertical dimensions and ittings to accessible WC and changing area 47

Figure 27 General toilet provision incorporating wheelchair accessible toilet acilities 48

Figure 28 Signs and controls 51

Figure 29 Section indicating raised platorm to bleacher seating or elevated wheelchair viewing 59

Figure 30 Typical sections through side or end ditch 77


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This guidance note sets out Sport Englands adviceon meeting the needs o the widest range o peoplein the design, operation and maintenance o sportsacilities, ollowing the principles o InclusiveDesign. This includes considering the needs oparents with young children, older people,alongside the needs o disabled people peoplewith sensory, cognitive and mobility impairments,including wheelchair users.

1.0 Introduction

Disabled People

In the 2001 census 20% o the population claimedto have some orm o disability. Disabled peoplehave a wide spectrum o dierent and sometimesconlicting needs. Inclusive Design sets out tostrike the best balance between all user needs andother demands on an environment, includingcost.

There are approximately 2,000,000 people inthe UK with signiicant sight loss: o these,364,615 are registered as blind or partiallysighted 1. A logical layout, the use o colour,light levels and the avoidance o glare andclear signage are some o the design issueswhich are important to people with visualimpairments.

There are 8,945,000 dea and hard o hearingpeople in the UK and there are 23,000deablind people in the UK. There are anestimated 50,000 people who use British Sign

Language as their irst or preerred language.There are 1,400,000 people who use a hearingaid regularly 2. The design o spaces to achievegood speech intelligibility, light levels and theavoidance o glare to assist lip reading, clearsignage, as well as the installation o assistivehearing systems, such as induction loops aresome o the design issues which are importantto people with hearing impairments.

There are 1,500,000 people with a learningdisability in the UK. People with a learning

Other key reerence should include the ollowing:

Olympic Delivery Authoritys Inclusive DesignStandards

BS8300 : 2009 Design o buildings and theirapproaches to meet the needs o disabledpeople Code o Practice

FLA Accessible Stadia, 2004

DT Inclusive Mobility: a guide to best practicein the design o pedestrian and transportinrastructure.

Disabled people are disabled by poorly designedenvironments and providing add-on or specialacilities creates segregation rather than inclusion.For example, the reason a wheelchair user cannotuse the itness equipment room in a sports centreis not because he or she is in a wheelchair. Thedesign and management o the acility creates thebarriers and limitations that disable. Consequently,the correct view would be that a wheelchair usercannot use the itness equipment room becausethe equipment is inappropriate and / or the roomis located on an inaccessible loor. Or the personcannot use the itness equipment room becausethe sta have not had adequate training.

1 Royal National Institute or the Blind

2 Royal National Institute or the Dea

This guidance note should

be read alongside theother good practicedocuments referencedthroughout this note andother relevant guidance

available from the SportEngland website


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Visual impairment Learning disability Mobility impairment Wheelchair users

Sport

Angling l l l l l l l l l l l l

Archery l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Athletics l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Badminton l l l l l l

Basketball l l l l l l l l

Billiards/cue sports l l l l l l l

Boccial l l l l l l l l l l l

Bowls l l l l l l l l l l l

Boxing l l l l

Canoeing l l l l l l l l l l l l

Cricket l l l l l l l l l l l

Cycling l l l l l l l l

Dragon boat racing l l l l l l l l l l l l

Equestrian l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Fencing l l l l l l l l

Goalball l l l l

Gymnastics l l l l l l l l l l l l

Hockey l l l l l l l l l

Judo l l l l

Netball l l l l

Orienteering l l l l l l l l l l l l

Rowing l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Rugby union l l l l

Sailing l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Shooting l l l l l l l l

Skiing l l l l l l l l l l l l

Soccer l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Sub-Aqua l l l l

Swimming l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Table tennis l l l l l l l l l l l

Tennis l l l l l l l

Trampolining l l l l

Triathlon l l l l l l

Volleyball l l l l l l l l l l l

Water skiing l l l l l l l l l

Weightlifting/powerlifting l l l l l l l l l l l l

Wheelchair rugby l l l l

Note: Dea or hard o hearing people take part in all sports at all levels o participation, so have not been speciically reerred to

in the table.

Recrea

tional

Na

tiona

l(GB)

Interna

tional

Para

lymp

ics

Recrea

tional

Na

tiona

l(GB)

Interna

tional

Para

lymp

ics

Recrea

tional

Na

tiona

l(GB)

Interna

tional

Para

lymp

ics

Recrea

tional

Na

tiona

l(GB)

Interna

tional

Para

lymp

ics

Table 1 Disabled people participate and compete in a wide range o sports.


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disability ind it harder than others to learn,understand and communicate. People withproound and multiple learning disabilitiesneed ull-time help with every aspect o theirlives - including eating, drinking, washing,dressing and toileting 3.

There are 4,900,000 4 people with mobilityimpairments and approximately 1.45% o thepopulation, as a whole, are regular wheelchairusers. Changes in level, gradients, suraceinishes and travel distances are particularlyimportant considerations when includingpeople with mobility impairments.

It is important to remember that it is common or

disabled people to have multiple impairments.

increase or reduce eelings o security, stretch orlimit boundaries, promote or reduce mobility andimprove or damage health 5. The aim o thisguidance is to integrate a wide range o user needsinto new and existing sports acilities.

3 MENCAP

4 UK National Statistics

5 CABE (2008) Inclusion by Design: equality, diversity andthe built environment.

By considering peoples diversity, inclusive designseeks to provide an environment which addressesa wide spectrum o needs. In this way it can breakdown barriers and remove exclusion.

The quality o buildings and spaces has a stronginluence on the quality o peoples lives. Decisionsabout the design and management o places canenhance or restrict a sense o belonging. They can

The Legislative Context

Disability Discrimination Duties

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places aduty on employers and service providers to preventdiscrimination against people on the grounds otheir disability. This includes a requirement to

make reasonable adjustments to policies, practicesand procedures and to remove physical barriers toaccessing services.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005amends the DDA 1995 and places an additionalduty on all public authorities, including localcouncils, to actively promote disability equality andtake account o disabled peoples needs, evenwhere that involves treating disabled people moreavourably than non-disabled people.

This latter requirement goes urther than avoidingdiscrimination in the way a public authority deliversits services and unctions. Public authorities are

required to carry out an equality impact assessmento all policies and practices and to produce aDisability Equality Schemes (DES) and Action Plandescribing how it will promote disability equality.

Adopting the principles o inclusive design shouldbe seen as an important part o meeting theseDDA duties. For more detailed inormation on theDDA please visit the Equality and Human RightsCommission website.

www.equalityhumanrights.com

We live in an ageing societyand there is a strongcorrelation between age

and disability. Therefore, itis important that wedesign, manage and

operate facilities in amanner which meets userexpectations in the 21stcentury and allows thewidest group of people to

play an active part in sportas participants, spectatorsand members of staff.


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Building Regulations 2000 Part M

Part M o the Building Regulations sets minimumunctional access standards or buildings, but itmust be recognised that Part M does not cover allo the inclusive design issues which are importantin the design o sports acilities or to a high enoughstandard to create truly inclusive environments.Thereore, Sport England expects designers to reerto Sport England guidance, as well as the ApprovedDocument M (currently 2004 edition) whichsupports Part M, when designing sports acilities.


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2.0 The Inclusive Design Process

Inclusive design should be seen as a continuousprocess - rom the initial concept, the design brieor master plan, through to the detailed design; theplanning and building control approval processes;onto construction and the operation, managementand maintenance o the completed acility. Eacho these stages should be an inclusive process inthemselves, involving potential users, includingdisabled people.

Involvement

The involvement o disabled people is a keyelement o Inclusive Design and is a requirement

o the DDA 2005 or public authorities. Localsports user groups and Access Groups can beuseul points o contact in this respect. The latterare a useul source to consult on a design, as theyare able to give advice based on personalexperience and local knowledge. Access Groupswork in dierent ways and have dierent levels oexperience and technical expertise. In most casesthe membership o volunteers includes people withmobility impairments. Many o these Groupsinclude people with hearing or visual impairments.However, only a small minority have members withlearning diiculties or who use mental healthservices.

Inclusive Design Champion

Regardless o the scale o a redevelopment or newbuild project, someone involved with the design oa project must champion the principles o inclusivedesign. This should be undertaken rom the earlybrieing stages or a scheme and provide on-goinggood practice advice and reviewing o the proposalat key stages to ensure that aims are being met.The Inclusive Design Champion must have adetailed technical knowledge and understanding

o the diverse and sometimes conlicting needs odisabled people within sports environments. Thisincludes the needs o everyone, rom people withsensory and cognitive impairments to people withmobility impairments, including wheelchair users.To give balanced recommendations the Championmust also have an appreciation o other usersneeds including children and older people. Anunderstanding o design and construction is alsoimportant in order to understand the otherdemands on the design or redevelopment o asports acility6.

How will people use the acility?

When designing a sports acility it is necessary tovisualise how people will use the acility as a whole,rom transport links, to the initial approach, throughto speciic areas, or example the changing rooms,the social area and activity spaces. It is alsoessential to identiy the potential obstacles andrestrictions that a disabled person may ace.Depending on the type o acility, some key areaso consideration might be:

Beore a visit inding out what acilities areavailable via websites, brochures, telephone

Booking in advance and knowing what

access arrangements to expectParking

Arriving by taxi, bus or coach at a drop opoint

Finding and reaching the entrance

Buying a ticket

Passing through the entrance doors

Finding and using the changing rooms

Accessing and using the itness room, court,pool, athletics track and other sporting areas

Wayinding

Finding and using the toilet acilities.

Finding and using the social acilities.

Finding a convenient seat/location romwhich to view a game with riends.

Most importantly, how will they evacuatequickly and saely in an emergency

6 Registered Access Consultants may be suitable or thisrole, see the National Register o Access Consultants

website atwww.nrac.org.uk


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Accommodating sports chairs

Over recent years the design o sports chairs hasdeveloped and in some cases sports chairs nowrequire a design width o 1.2m making it impracticalto achieve this throughout the acility. It is thereoreessential to establish those areas where sportschair access is required to ensure proper access.

From reception they will continue to push theirsports chair to the secure storage point whichmust be conveniently located close to the changingareas. Having secured their sports chair they willthen move to the changing and toilet acilities priorto returning to the secure area where they willtranser into their sports chair and then secure theirday chair. Once in their sports chair the user willthen travel to the sports activity space. Ater theirsports activity the user will return to the securestorage to transer into their day chair and will theneither secure their sports chair and move into theother parts o the sports acility or return toreception and exit the acility.

In summary, when considering how disabledpeople will use any part o the acility it is importantto ask the ollowing questions:

How will they ind it?

How will they reach it?

How will they use it?

How will they leave the acility?

To achieve this a sports chair zone must beestablished. This a zone where the circulation andthe elements within it, such as doors and lobbies,are designed to allow large sports chairs to beused, manoeuvred and stored easily and saely.The minimum extent o the wheelchair zone in anysports chair acility consists o:

The route rom the site entrance, car park,setting down point to the entrance and

reception area.

The route rom the entrance/reception to asae, convenient and secure storage point orthe sports chair.

The route rom the storage point to the activityarea e.g. sports hall or outdoor/indoor tenniscourt

The means o escape route rom the activityarea to a place o saety.

This will allow a user to arrive at the acility andenable them to push their sports chair in ront othem, in most cases rom their day chair, to andthrough the entrance and into the reception area.

In facilities such assports centres andtennis centres, where

sports chairs are a key

piece of sportsequipment for some

people and some sports,it is essential that thedesign of the building

and the external worksensures that the sportschairs have unhindered

access to all sports

activities / facilities.


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Adapting and Improving Existing Buildings

Many sports acilities were designed and constructedin a way that makes the acilities diicult or impossibleto use or many disabled people. In some o these,enlightened management practices have overcomemany o the barriers to access despite the physicalconstraints o the building.

Where it is not reasonably practicable toachieve current standards o accessibility, acosted and prioritised action plan should beprepared with the aim o achieving therequirements in the medium to long term. Theaction plan should also identiy how the currentarrangements can be managed in the shortterm. This may require changes in policies,practices and procedures to achieve the bestlevel o accessibility in the circumstances; awritten policy should be produced describing

the potential barriers and identiying thearrangements to minimise the impact ondisabled people.

Most access improvements do not involveexpensive complex changes to the physicalenvironment or major changes to how it ismanaged.

Extensions

All new extensions to sports acilities must meetthe requirements o this guidance note and thedesign o the extension must improve access to

the existing acility.

Alterations

Where substantial work is planned to an existingacility the project must aim to comply with the ullrequirements o this guidance. When makingalterations or simply carrying out maintenance, theaccess implications and the potential orincorporating improvements within the proposedwork should be careully considered. The ollowingpoints should be borne in mind:

The proposed work must not make the accesssituation worse.

When altering orextending a sportsfacility, it is essential that

the project be developedwith the clear aim ofachieving fullaccessibility. The firststep in achieving this isto carry out an access

audit. This will establishthe current situation and

inform the design anddevelopment of the

project. It will helpcreate the basis for a

programme of works anda written access policy.


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Access Audits

The Inclusive Design Champion should carry outan Access Audit o an existing sports acility priorto developing maintenance programmes,redevelopment schemes or extensions, to inormthe brie or the project. The Audit should highlightinclusive design issues which should be addressedwithin the proposals. The project must aim tomake the existing acility meet current goodpractice, including meeting the standards in thisguidance note.

Access Statements

An Access Statement should be prepared to

explain how any new build or redevelopmentproposals will address the principles o inclusivedesign.

An Access Statement should evolve throughoutthe brieing, design and construction process,beginning as a strategic document whereaspirational, but achievable, aims are set or aproject, developing into a detailed inal documentwhich is handed over to the owner o the sportsacility on completion. The Statement should actas an agenda or an ongoing dialogue between allstakeholders at each stage o the project. It canhelp to ensure that inclusive design issues and

their management implications are given dueconsideration alongside other demands made ona development, providing an audit trail o issues,assessments and actions. The exact orm o aStatement will depend on the size, nature andcomplexity o the development.

Sport Scotland has produced detailed guidance on writing Access Statements, Facilities Report 03: InclusiveDesign and Access Statements, 2008.

www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resources/TopicNavigation/Publications/Facilities+Report+03.htm


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3.0 Arriving At The Facility

Disabled people arrive at sports acilities by avariety o means, most commonly by car, minibusor taxi. However, arrangements should be madeor those arriving by wheelchair, bicycle or on ootand, where possible, or those arriving by publictransport. It is essential that there is clear signageand good lighting at the entry rom the publichighway indicating routes to:

Car parking areas, speciically accessible carparking spaces.

Setting-down point.

Principal entrance to the acility via a saeroute.

Car parking

Detailed guidance on the design o car parkingareas is available in the Approved Document Mo the Building Regulations, in BS8300 and in SportEnglands Car Park and Landscape Design designguidance note available ro However the key issuesare summarised here.

A car is essential or many disabled people toaccess sport and leisure acilities, so it is vital to

provide suitable parking with unhindered accessto the entrance:

Provide at least the minimum number ospeciically reserved, accessible car parkingspaces or people with disabilities appropriateto the scale o the acility as indicated in Table 2.

Group bays together and signpost theirlocation rom the main entrance to the site.See Figure 2 o BS8300.

Bays must be clearly laid out and signed, bothon the surace o the bay and by means o a

vertical sign. See Figure 3 o BS8300.

Establish a management/supervision systemto ensure that the designated parking bays areused only by people entitled to do so.

Bays must be located as close as possible tothe main entrance o the building. I thepathway to the entrance is uncovered thedistance to the entrance must be no more than50m; this can be increased to a maximum o100m i the pathway is covered.

The car park surace should be smooth andeven. Unbound suraces such as gravel are

not acceptable.

Kerbs must have dropped sections at all pointswhere wheelchair users may want to cross.See BS8300.

The height o ticket, swipe-card orkey-activated car park barriers should conormto the requirements o BS 65714. See Figure5 o BS8300.

Vehicle height barriers should have verticalclearance o 2.6m to allow the passage o highconversion vehicles.

Audible barrier controls must have alternativeprovision or people with hearing and speechimpairment.

Clear Signage at the entry rom the public highway isessential


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Provision

Minimum of 2 accessiblecar parking bays or 6%, 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 2 4 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 8whichever is the greater

Minimum number of accessiblecar parking bays or 8% m 6 8 m mmm mmmmm 8

whichever is the greater

Setting-down point

adjacent to the entrancel lll lllll l l l ll ll llll

Key: lRequired mRecommended

Clubhouses/pavilionsgenerally

Full-sizesyntheticpitch

Multi-usegamesarea

Fitnesssuite

Four-courtsportshall

Six-courtsportshall

Nine-courtsportshallorlar

ger

Cricketindoor

Gymnasticshall

Tennisindoor

Tennisoutdoor

Bowlsindoor

Bowlsoutdoor

Tabletenniscentre

Athleticsindoor

Athleticsoutdoor

20mswimmingpool

25mswimmingpool

50mswimmingpool

Clubhouses/pavilions(servi

ng

onlynaturalturfpitches)

Table 2 Accessible car parking spaces requirements

Figure 1 Accessible car parking bays

Dropped kerbs provide

sae access to ootpath

1200mm zone

or boot

access and

vehicles with

rear hoists


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Setting-down point

A setting-down point must be provided. Ideally,this should be sheltered and immediately adjacentto the main entrance. Note the ollowing points:

The bay should be long enough to allowtail-loading.

For smaller acilities where a drop-o point atthe main entrance may be impractical, thedistance between the nearest drop-o pointand the sports acility should be no more than50m i the pathway is uncovered.

Routes to the acility

Detailed guidance on the access routes to and aroundbuildings is available in Section 5 o BS 8300.

Provide landmarks along routes to helporientation.

Traic routes should be clearly distinguishablerom pedestrian routes through use o textureand colour.

Cycle Parking

Provision should be made or parking cycles insecure locations away rom pedestrian routes.

Consideration should be given to providingweather protection to cycle parking.

Space should be available or adapted cycles andtandems.

Designers should reer to the DTI publicationInclusive Mobility to ensure that the design andlocation o cycle parking is sae and appropriate.

Many cycle racks are lower than 1.0m, theminimum height street urniture should be. Inaddition many cycle racks have no lower rail which

Figure 2 Setting-down point

makes this urniture diicult to detect or blind andpartially sighted people.

To enable everyone,particularly people withdisabilities, to moveconveniently and safelyfrom their arrival point tothe entrance, careful

attention is needed to thelayout and detail of paths,ramps, steps andhandrails. All routes shouldgive sufficient audible andtactile information,

supplemented by visualclues, to help blind and

partially sighted people

A dedicated ootpath with olactory and tactileinormation will assist visually impaired people

Clear spaceallows tail-loading

Flushkerb

Ramp up100mm

Space

for17seat

minibu

swithrear

liftingplatform

100mmk

erb

Kerb retained toguide visuallyimpaired

Wheelchairmanoeuvrablespace

100mmk

erb

8000

2000

3600

Rampup

100mm

Rampup

100mm


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Figure 3 Designing an Access Route

To be accessible, routes must be a minimum o1.8m clear width where they serve sports acilities.Ths should be increased in large acilities.

In sports centres and tennis centres the designo the route rom the drop o point, car parkand site entrance to the sports acility, indoorand outdoor acilities, must be designed anddetailed to allow easy access or someoneusing a wheelchair who is also pushing theirsports chair in ront o them.

Street urniture such as lamps, bins and so onmust be out o the route way.

At unavoidable pinch points no greater than6.0m in length the path can be reduced to1.2m min clear width.

Splay corners at junctions to ease manoeuvringor wheelchair users.

Ensure minimum clear height o 2.1m ismaintained under trees, canopies, bracketsand so on.

Access routes should be level (ie less than1:60) or have the shallowest gradient possible.Where the route is steeper than 1 in 60 but notas steep as 1 in 20, it must have a level landingor each 0.5m rise along the route. Whereverthere is a change o direction in a ramp, a levellanding must be provided. Where the gradientis 1:20 or steeper it must comply with therequirements or a ramp.

Wherever the change in level along a route isgreater than a single step then an alternativestepped approach should be provided as

some people ind it signiicantly easier tonegotiate a short light o steps than a ramp.

Note resting placesfor people who may

need a rest on route

should be provided

at no further than

50m apart

For carriageway crossings, blister paving should

be used in accordance with the Guidance on the

use of Tactile Paving Surfaces published by The

Department for Transport.

On minor secondary routes not

serving sports facilities footpaths

may be reduced to a minimum

clear width of 1.5m provided that

there are passing places

Cross-falls to

the route should

not exceed 1:50

Keep drainage

gullies and grates

out of the route way

The surface must be rm,

slip-resistant and

reasonably smooth Passing places should be a minimum of 2m

long by 1.8m wide and located within direct

sight of another passing place. For sports

centres and tennis centres this should be

increased to 2.5m to allow large sports chairs

to pass each other.

1.2m

min

1:50

max

6mm

ax

50m

max

1.0m

1.0m

Space or a

wheelchair user,

scooter use ordouble buggy

to either side

Street urniture

located out o

main circulation

routes


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Materials should be used thoughtully. Theycan provide dierent sound and tactile qualities

and, with proper use o colour, will aid locationalong the route. I used indiscriminately,however, they can be conusing and evendangerous.

Where ootpaths cross vehicle routes providewarning and guidance or blind and visuallyimpaired people. Ensure there are no obstaclesor hazards, or example gratings, to obstructcrossing points.

Crossings should be at least 1.2m wideminimum.

Careul design o planting schemes will aidlocation by providing scent and colour cluesand in some instances can provide keylandmarks or the visually impaired user.Ensure plants do not overhang route ways.

On access routes on level ground provideseated resting places not more than 50m apartor people with impaired mobility. For routeswhere the gradient is between 1:21 and 1:60additional resting places should beconsidered.

External Features

Layout

Footpaths should be at least 1.8m wideminimum. At unavoidable pinch points aroundobstacles such as trees, an absolute minimumwidth o 1.2m is acceptable providing thisdoes not exceed 6.0m in length.

Provide splayed or rounded angles at junctionswith other ootpaths.

Designers should reer to the DTI publicationInclusive Mobility to ensure that the design

and gradient o ootpaths is sae andappropriate.

Drainage cross-alls o ootpaths should notexceed 1 in 50 as steep cross alls make itdiicult to control a wheelchair.

Detailed guidance on the design o access routesto and around buildings can be ound in Section 5o BS8300 and Approved Document M.

Materials

Unbound suraces should be avoided onprincipal routes to and between acilities, orexample gravel hogging.

All suraces should meet with a level and evenjunction.

All gratings should be lush with paving andlocated beyond the boundaries o the accessroute.

Block paving should be laid evenly.

Dished drainage channels are trip hazards andshould be avoided on access routes.

Footpaths should be well illuminated to avoidthe creation o contrasting pools o light anddarkness (100 lux to steps and ramps, 50 luxon main routes).

Signs

Guidance or the design o signs can be ound inSection 10 and The Sign Design Guide (see contactaddresses).

Signs should be part o a careully considered,comprehensive signage system to ensure that theyare:

Careully located

Clear, simple and logical

Non-relective.

All surfaces should be

slip-resistant in all weatherconditions.


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Detailed guidance and standards or ramps can beound in BS8300 and related sections o ApprovedDocument M.

Steps

Some people, in particular ambulant disabledpeople, preer easy going steps and these shouldalways be located adjacent to ramps.

Do not use open risers; all risers should besolid.

A minimum clear landing o 1.2m (1.8mpreerred) should be provided at the top andbottom o each light o steps. All landings

should be clear o door swings.

Straight lights are easier to negotiate thancurved or dogleg lights. However, a series ostraight lights can be intimidating to peoplewith a ear o heights.

Step treads and risers should be consistentand in the range o 0.15-0.17m or risers and0.25-0.3m or treads.

Avoid single, isolated steps.

Twelve is the maximum number o risers in anylight.

Each step nosing should contrast in colourand luminance with the adjacent tread.

Detailed guidance and standards or steppedaccess can be ound in BS8300 and relatedsections o Approved Document M.

Handrails

Handrails are to be provided on both sides o allsteps maintaining at least 1.0m clear width.

It is important that the handrail is available beorea person starts climbing or descending a light o

steps. In order to acilitate this, the handrails mustproject horizontally beyond the top and bottomsteps by at least 0.3m.

The colour or brightness o the handrail shoulddistinguish it rom its background.

Detailed guidance and standards or the provisionand design o handrails can be ound in Section5.10 o BS8300 and related sections o ApprovedDocument M.

Issues to consider include:

A gradient o 1 in 21 is considered level; anygradient steeper than this is classiied as aramp.

The gradient should be as level as possible,between 1 in 20 or a maximum length o10.0m and 1 in 15 or a maximum length o5.0m.

The absolute maximum gradient is 1 in 12 overa maximum length o 2m. This should be usedonly where no alternative is available.

The surace colour o ramps should contrastvisually with that o landings to enable visuallyimpaired users to anticipate them.

All ramps should have slip-resistant suracesthat are irmly ixed and easily maintained.

Ramps should be illuminated to at least 100 lux.

All ramps should be provided with handrails

on both sides. Minimum clear width 1.3mexcept where sports chairs may be used orexample at tennis clubs or sports centres, inwhich case they should be at least 2.0m clearwidth. For long ramps, a wider ramp or theprovision o passing points may bebeneicial.

I the ramp is exposed to the extent that peoplemight eel vulnerable consider providing asolid balustrade.

A minimum clear landing o 1.5m should be

provided at the top and bottom o each ramp.All landings should be clear o door swings.

Ramps

It is essential or ramps rising 0.3m or more to beaccompanied by a short light o steps or use bythose who ind negotiating a ramp more diicultthan using steps.

Where it is not possible touse a level approach, a

ramp will enable safe andconvenient access for

people with pushchairs or

wheelchairs and fordeliveries.


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Street Furniture

It is essential to locate street urniture careully asit can create serious problems or people with sightimpairment as well as causing obstacles or peoplewith pushchairs and wheelchairs. Used correctly,street urniture can create interest and give visualclues to aid location.

Detailed guidance on the location o street urniturecan be ound in Section 5.7 o BS8300 and inSection 3.7 o Inclusive Mobility 2009.

The Approach

The entrance to the building should be an obviouseature on the acade. The message should bereinorced by the use o colour, lighting andsignage. However, avoid large areas o uniormcolour and texture in the hard landscaping. Usethe opportunity to relate the building to itssurroundings and avoid unattractive and desolateapproaches as these can prevent people withvisual impairment rom locating the entrance and/or main routes.

Sports acilities must be designed and managed tobe accessible to people with assistance dogs

Note the ollowing requirements:

The route to the entrance should be segregatedrom vehicles

The route to the entrance rom parking anddrop o should be as short as possible, sincemany disabled people can only travel 50mwith relative ease.

Provide obvious and clear signage in thecorrect location.

Avoid windows, doors and other objectsprojecting into pathways. All outward openingdoors should be recessed or saeguarded byrailings.

Elements such as street urniture, columnsand roo brackets should be careully located

and detailed so that they are not a hazard.Particular care should be taken adjacent to thebuilding entrance.

Provide appropriate seating adjacent to theentrance. Where there are pedestrian routesgreater than 50m in length, provide seats/resting places. There should be space toenable wheelchair users to rest beside seats.Seats and wheelchair spaces should be setback rom the pathway.

Assistance Dog Toilet Areas

An assistance dog is likely to need access to adesignated toilet area away rom other activities.

Note the ollowing requirements:

The area should have a concrete surace easy

to clean and have provision or regularsanitation cleaning.

All acilities should have an assistance dogpolicy (see management section).

It should be ree rom litter, glass and otherharmul articles.

Appropriate internal provision should also beconsidered.

The approach to theentrance should be

designed so that hardand soft landscapingreinforces the route toand the location of theentrance.


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Be operated by a sensor that prevents thedoor closing on users and is sensitive topeople who are seated or children, as well assensing someone who is standing.

In situations where an automatic ie sensorcontrolled, door control is not required but apower-operated door is to be provided. Thepush-pad should be located at a height between0.751.0m, be clearly visible and be o a contrastingcolour and luminance to its background.

Entrance lobby

The layout and dimensions o the entrance

needs to be appropriate to the acilitys sizeand type. Where inner and outer (lobby) doorsare provided the dimensions are critical orwheelchair users as they will need to be ableto move clear o the irst set o doors beoreencountering the second.

The entrance lobby size and design shouldallow or a wheelchair user pushing either theirsports chair or day chair in ront o them asthey enter the acility.

A recessed cleaning surace/mat should beprovided within the entrance lobby to prevent

moisture being brought into the building onpeoples shoes/wheelchair and buggy wheels.The mat must not create a trip hazard. Coirematting and similar materials must not be used.

Provision

Reception desk

including induction loop lllll m l m l mm l m lll

Public

telephonem m mm llllm m m m l m mmmmll

Textphone m mllm m m m m mmmll

Seating / resting area m m m m lllll m l m l m l mm lll

Assistance dog rest lllll l l ll lllll


Clubhou

ses/pavilions

generally

Full-size

syntheticpitch

Multi-usegamesarea

Fitnesss

uite

Four-cou

rtsportshall

Six-courtsportshall

Nine-cou

rtsportshallorlarger

Cricketindoor

Gymnasticshall

Tennisin

door

Tennisoutdoor

Bowlsin

door

Bowlsou

tdoor

Tabletenniscentre

Athleticsindoor

Athleticsoutdoor

20mswimmingpool

25mswimmingpool

50mswimmingpool

Clubhous

es/pavilions(serving

onlynaturalturfpitches)

Table 4 Reception area requirements

Glazed doors and associated side panels shouldnot incorporate ully glazed rameless entrancedoors. They should:

Be distinguishable rom their surroundings,with eatures such as signs and logos locatedat eye level, that is 1.41.6m above groundlevel.

Repeat saety markings at low level that is0.851.0m i the glazing goes to the loor.

Ensure these distinguishing eatures, arevisible rom both sides o the door.

Comply with BS 62624.

Automatically controlled doors should:

Have a sliding, bi-old or telescopicarrangement hinged (swing) or olding doorscan be used in exceptional situations.

Be designed to minimise the risk o accidentas an automatic swinging or olding door canbe a serious hazard. In particular, the leadingedge should be protected so that peoplecannot walk into it. Also the leading edgeshould be highlighted to contrast with the resto the door so that it is more easily detected.

Be capable o manual operation in the evento power ailure.

Comply with BS 7036: Parts 1 & 2.


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Where space is necessarily limited,consideration should be given to omitting theinner doors, providing an eective overheadwarm air curtain and adjusting the design oheating to the entrance area to minimise heatloss. The entrance should not ace theprevailing winds in such circumstances inorder to avoid unnecessary draughts.

The level o lighting in the lobby should beadjustable to provide a smooth transition rom

external to internal lighting levels and vice versa.

See BS8300 6.3.6 and Figure 8.

Foyer / Reception Area

The layout o the reception area should be clearand logical and minimise the need or signs toguide people through it. Close attention to detailis critical to the success o this space. See igure4. The ollowing should be considered:

People coming through the entrance doorshould have a clear view o the reception desk.

This includes considering the location o thedesk and the use o colour and lighting tohighlight its presence.

People working in the reception area shouldhave a clear view o the entrance.

I turnstiles are provided ensure there is a passgate to allow or people with pushchairs orwheelchairs. The gate should be electricallyoperated. I the turnstiles can be sel operatedvia a membership card or similar, then anypass gate should also be capable o beingsel operated.

The lit, staircase and public telephone should

be visible and close to the reception desk.Where a direct line o sight to these keyacilities is not possible clear signage shouldindicate their whereabouts.

Suitable seating is required or early arrivalsand people who may be meeting riends beoreor ater using the acilities.

The acoustics within the reception area shouldpromote clear speech intelligibility andparticularly or interaction with sta at thereception desk which should be ree romdistractions. It is essential that hard relectingsuraces, such as glass, be acousticallybalanced with soter sound-absorbing suraces,such as ceilings, carpets and curtains.

Figure 4 Reception Area

Dened space or waitingand manoeuvring in ront

o lit 1500 x 1500mmminimum

Recess eatures suchas vending machinesand radiators

Telephone recesslocated away romnoisy areas

Logicalunobstructedroutes; clearsignage

Low counter reception adequate space in rontand behind with induction

loop or sta and visitors

Flush and rm mattingto entire lobby

Lighting levelsin lobby providea transitionbetween insideand outside

Brackets or columns tocanopies or lights kept

clear o circulation routes

Obvious entrance withclear views in helps

orientation

Seating areas shouldincorporate loose seats

with armrests

Waiting area well litwith a quietenvironment balancebetween acousticallyhard and sot areas

Seating area withindened area andlocated o the maincirculation route to

avoid blind andpartially sighted peoplecolliding with urniture.In addition provideintegrated spaces orwheelchair users

Where they areunavoidable, obstaclesshould be highlightedusing colour and lightingto assist way nding andto minimise the risk oaccidental collision

Protect door swings

Locate visual and tactileinormation in obviousand convenient positions

ColumnSaeguard lowheadroom

Lit

Consider assistancedog rest area


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Reception desk

Where some orm o reception/ booking desk isprovided, it is essential that the desk or counter beproperly designed to allow good access or all.

The design o the counter should accommodatedisabled members o sta behind the deskand disabled visitors in ront o the desk. Thisincludes considering the needs o wheelchairusers, people o short stature and people whoare dea or hard o hearing.

The desk should include a lowered section -see BS8300 Section 11.1

The counter top and ront should contrastvisually in order to assist the location o thecounter edge by blind and partially sightedpeople.

Screens and grilles can inhibit communicationand should only be used where essential orsecurity considerations.

An induction loop must be provided to assistusers with hearing impairment and this mustbe clearly indicated using the standard symbol.Note: the induction loop should also beaccessible rom the lowered area o counter.

For some sports activities, or example swimming, itis not possible or the participants to take theirassistance dogs with them. Where this may occur, asae and secure rest space should be provided orthe dogs; this could be within the reception area.

Public telephone

Except in the smallest acilities, such as smallpavilions, a public telephone with an induction

coupler should be located in the reception area toallow people to call taxis, organise lits, and so on.

Signs

Good, clear inormation is essential in all acilities:

Only use signage to locate speciic acilitiesand reinorce logical routes, conusing layoutsshould be avoided at the design stage.

Large numbers o signs cannot necessarilyovercome wayinding problems created as aresult o poor design o the acility. However,

signage is essential in reinorcing wayindingwithin well designed logical environments.

The layout o the building and the use oappropriate loor and wall inishes and lightingcan be used to convey navigational inormation.

Guidance or the design o signs can be ound inSection 10.0 below and The Sign Design Guide.

(www.signdesignsociety.co.uk)

The reception desk is designed or use rom bothsides by people using wheelchairs

Upper writing surfacefor standing customers(9501100mm high)

Knee recess oncustomer side500mm deep

Reception countertop at760mm maximum abovethe floor (700mm deep)

1800 x 1200mmmanoeuvring spacein front and behindcounter to allowconvenient access

Minimum knee recesson reception side 650mmdeep x 700mm clear high Consider counter top

colour and providecontrast with vertical

edge of counter

Figure 5 Reception Desk - key dimensions


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5.0 Internal Circulation

Design the building to minimise the number odoors and the length o corridors that users haveto negotiate. Consider careully the location ointernal columns and pillars; within the constraintso the design these should not be located incirculation areas where they may becomeobstructions. When this is not possible theobstruction needs to be highlighted and protectedby the use o appropriate details and decoration.

In acilities where sports chairs could potentiallybe used, the design o the internal circulation musttake account o the requirements or a sports chairzone - see page 9.

Corridors

See BS8300 and Approved Document M.

As a minimum the unobstructed width o acorridor should be at least 1.5m. However,where the unobstructed width is less than1.8m, it must have passing places at least1.8m long and have an unobstructed width oat least 1.8m to allow wheelchair users to passeach other. I large numbers o wheelchairusers are expected, the corridor width shouldbe increased to at least 2.0m to allow

wheelchair users to pass each other reelyalong main routes.

In Sports Chair Zones (see Accommodatingsports chairs on page 9), the unobstructedwidth o a corridor should preerably be 2.5mto allow users in large sports chairs to passeach other. However, the unobstructed widthcan be reduced to a minimum o 2.0m with theincorporation o passing places at least 2.5mlong and with an unobstructed width o at least2.5m - see ig 7. Passing places should be nomore than 5m apart.

Corridors should be wide enough to allowwheelchair users to approach and gain easyaccess through doors o the corridor.

Corridors should be unobstructed; or instance,ire extinguishers, radiators, and so on shouldnot project into the clear corridor width toensure they do not present a hazard tochildren, wheelchair users or visually impairedpeople.

Provide splayed or radius corners to walls atchanges in direction or adjoining corridorswherever possible.

Doors should be recessed when opening outinto a corridor, to avoid a signiicant hazard.

Avoid glazing at corridor ends.

Whenever possible doors should be held open to minimise the number o barriers on a route way.Splayed walls at corridor junctions will benet blind or partially sighted people and wheelchair users


25/83


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Note: All dimensions are in millimetres

Figure 7 Internal circulation or acilities WITH Sports Chair Zones.

Figure 8 Entrance Lobby or sports halls and tenniscentres with Sports Chair Zones- minimumdimensions (mm)

Figure 9 Internal Lobby or sports halls and tenniscentres with Sports Chair Zones- minimumdimensions (mm)

Note: lobbies or all other acilities in accordance with

Approved Document M

Note: lobbies or all other acilities in accordance with

Approved Document M

2000minclear*

1200 min clear

2000 min clear

2500 clear preferred

1500 x 1500

min wheelchairmanoeuvring

space

Automatic doors

Automatic doors

Notes:

* Lobby lengthsubject to

specic sportschair sizes to be

accomodated (eg

racing chairs can

be up to 2m long)

2000minclearfroml

eadingedgeofdoor*

1200 min clear

1200 min clear

2000 min clear

2500 clear preferred

1500 x 1500

min wheelchair

manoeuvring

space

Min requirement of

926/426 standard door

set to achieve minimum

clear opening of 1200mm.

Minimum corridor width of

1500 in non-sportschair areas

In Sportschair areas maintain

a minimum preferred clear width

of 2500 to allow two sports

chairs to pass

Doors that need to swing

out into main corridors

should be 'protected' by

being set into a recess

2500

2500

2500

1500

1500

Splayed walls at changes

in direction will benet

wheelchair users and

visually impaired people

Minimum 870 effective clear width

Minimum 1200 effective clear width

1500 turning circle

to be maintained

throughout the facility

B

B

C

B

C

Where space is tight the circulation

can be reduced to 2000 with 2500

passing places at max 5m apart

Key Dimensions

A

Radiator, hose reels and

so on set into recesses to

maintain corridor width

Doors across corridors must have viewing panels

Where double doors of unequal width are used,

the wider doors should all be on the same side of the

corridor and meet the minimum clear width requirement

A2000

5000 max 2500

Where the unobstructed width of a corridor is less than

1.8m, they must have passing places at least 1.8m long

and with an unobstructed width of at least 1.8m to

allow wheelchair users to pass each other


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Lobbies

Minimise the number o internal lobbies asthey can impact upon eicient use o theacilities. Where unavoidable internal lobbiesshould be o the appropriate size and layout

Ramps


Avoid small changes in level within a storeywhenever possible. However, where this is notpracticable, all ramps and steps must be careullydesigned. Where the complex is on two levels theollowing provision should be made:

All ramps should have a minimum cleareective width o 1.5m except in theSportschair Zone o buildings such as SportsCentres and Tennis Centres where the cleareective width should be increased to 2.5m sothat 2 large sports chairs can pass eachother.

Ramp gradients should be as shallow aspossible. Where the gradient is less than 1 in20 level landings/rest points should beprovided every 0.5m rise.

The maximum rise o any series o ramps

should be 2.0m.

In exceptional circumstances, short rampswith a maximum length o 2.0m betweenlandings may be incorporated with a gradientno steeper than 1 in 12.

Intermediate landings between ramps shouldbe at least 1.5m long.

Ramps should be suraced with irmly ixed,slip-resistant and easy to maintain materials.

Stairs

See BS8300 and Approved Document M or moredetailed advice.

There should be a clear width o 1.1m exceptin small acilities where a minimum o 1m isacceptable.

The maximum rise o each light is 1.8m withrisers no greater than 0.17m and treads noless than 0.25m.

All steps, no matter how ew, should be ittedwith a suitable handrail on both sides (see later

section).

All landings must must be level and at least

Wherever possible, a ramped change in level should

be accompanied by a short fight o steps suitableor ambulant disabled people who may nd a ramped

surace dicult to negotiate. The steeper and moreextensive the ramp conguration, the more important

it is to provide a short fight o steps.

1.2m long and clear o obstructions such asdoor swings. Intermediate landings should bea minimum o 1.2m wide and 1.5m long.

All changes in level, including landings, are tobe itted with a continuous handrail.

Tapered treads, spiral stairs and open riserspresent special hazards and should not be used.

All stair nosings need to be clearly visible andmade o contrasting slip-resistant material.

The nosing should wrap around the riser sothat it extends 55mm on the tread and 55mmdown the riser.

All staircases should be illuminated to at least100 lux at tread level and be designed toensure that people do not have to negotiatestairs in their own shadow.

Avoid using glossy, polished materials that cancause glare or relections that may impact onthe saety o the stair.

Ensure open areas under stairs are either ree

rom head injury hazards likely to cause injuryor are suitably guarded.


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Handrails


Handrails must be provided at all changes in level,however small, and give adequate grip and support.They should also take account o the ollowing:

Colour or brightness should contrast againstthe background so that they are easilydistinguishable.

Should have an outside diameter o 4550mmor ease o grip.

Should be continuous and itted with returnedends continued a minimum o 0.3m beyondthe top or bottom o the ramp or staircase.

Should not project into the minimum clearwidth o the stair, ramp or corridor.

Should be robustly ixed.

Balustrades should be designed to providephysical and visual security.

Doors


Design

The number o doors in a building should be keptto a minimum, since doors obstruct movementthrough a building or many disabled people as wellas people with large sports bags. Doors may be

heavy or awkward to operate i not properlydesigned and speciied. Where they are unavoidablethey should comply with the ollowing guidance:

All doors need to be designed to provide atleast the minimum clear door openingappropriate to the type and scale o the acilityre Table 5 and Approved document M.

Double doors must have at least one lea thatprovides the minimum clear opening capableo allowing passage o a wheelchair withouthaving to use the second lea.

Wherever possible, all doors should be singleswing rather than a double swing action. Doorsshould not be provided with rebated meetingstyles, which are more diicult to negotiate.

Location

Locate all doors so that there is clear wallspace o at least 0.3m to the leading edgeside. Ideally and or sport-speciic situations this should be increased to 0.5m.

All doors should be designed and located sothat they can swing to at least 90, to ensuremaximum door opening - see Fig 10.

Doors should swing into rooms, not into corridors.Where unavoidable, doors swinging into a corridorshould be ully recessed or protected byguardrails that lead people away rom the doorswing. Any guardrail must not restrict theminimum clear width o the corridor.

1100mm minclear ofdoor swing

Door swing

Adjacent walls orother obstructionsmust be a minimumof 300mm clearoff door edge(ideally 500mm)

Figure 11 Doors side clearances

Clear width

Clear width

Note: door needs toopen more than 90to maximiseavailable clear width

Note: clear widthavoids all projections,such as door urniture,weather boards anddoorstops

Figure 10 Doors clear widths


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Appearance

Vision panels should be itted to doors tominimise collisions. The vision panels shouldallow allow viewing o adults, children andwheelchair users on the other side o thedoor.

Position vision panels as recommended in Approved Document M so that theyaccommodate peoples eye levels whenstanding and sitting. See Fig 12 above.

Fully glazed doors can be a hazard to blind

Table 5 Internal doors requirements (except accessible toilets and changing rooms)

Minimum clear

width

875mm l l l l lllllllll l l ll

1200mm2 l l l lm ll m m m m ll mm l


Notes

1 For 4,6 and 9 court, cricket indoor, tennis indoor and tennis outdoor acilities the minimum clear eective width should be

1200mm in sportschair zones and 875mm min or all other doors in the acility

2

3

Clubhouses/pavilionsgenerally,

ex

ceptthoseservingtennis,

at

hleticsoroutdoorbasketball

Fu

ll-s

izesyn

the

ticp

itc

h

M

ulti-usegamesarea

Fitnessequ

ipmen

troom

Four-courtsports

ha

ll1

,3

Six-courtsports

ha

ll1

,

3

N

ine-courtsports

ha

llor

larger

1,

3

C

ric

ke

tindoor

1

G

ymnas

tics

ha

ll

Te

nn

isindoor

1

Te

nn

isou

tdoor

1

B

as

ke

tba

llou

tdoor

B

ow

lsindoor

B

ow

lsou

tdoor

Ta

bletenn

iscen

tre

Athletics

indoor

Athleticsou

tdoor

20m

sw

imm

ingpoo

l

25m

sw

imm

ingpoo

l

50m

sw

imm

ingpoo

l

Note where a sports hall is located above ground level the sports chair zone will extend from ground floor level up to the floor

level where the sports hall is located and therefore any lift doors etc wil l need to provide the 1200mm clear effective width

Unless the 1200mm width can be achieved with automatic powered sliding doors the effective clear width of 1200mm shouldbe achieved by two doors so that when only one door is open a minimum clear effective width of 875mm is achieved.

800mm

1150mm

500mm1

500mm

Minimum zoneof visibility

Where it is necessary to introduce a horizontalmember, two viewing panels (as indicated) should

be provided and located to achieve the minimumzone o visibility as shown.

Note:For glass doors or ully glazeddoors with a narrow stile,permanent maniestation shouldbe provided within two zones rom0.85m to 1.0m rom the loor androm 1.4m to 1.6m rom the loor.(See BS8300 Section 6.4.4 orurther details).Single viewing panel Split viewing panel

Figure 12 Doors location o vision panels

and partially sighted people. Fully glazeddoors should be clearly identiied bycontrasting bands o maniestation or colourlogos. Equally, they should be clearlydistinguishable rom any adjacent glazing.

It is important that visually impaired peoplecan identiy the door. The most eective wayo achieving this is or the door colour tocontrast with that o the wall.

The leading edge o the door should be highlighted

to contrast with the rest o the door so that it ismore easily detected when the door is open.


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Door Closers

Doors can act as barriers i great orce is requiredto overcome the door closer. The door closershould be set to the minimum orce necessary toclose the door - see BS8300 section 6.5.2.

Speciy and install door closers to minimisethe eort needed to open the door.

Do not set door closers at a high orce level inorder to overcome badly itting hinges orsmoke seals.

Doors that are easy to open beneit everyoneand are less likely to be damaged.

Wherever possible, use electromagneticcatches linked to the ire alarm to hold thedoor open during normal use.

In large acilities and in those where signiicantnumbers o disabled users are anticipated,consider installing automatic internal doors,either linked to a sensor or to suitably locatedpush pads.

Door Furniture

Wherever possible doors should be itted withironmongery to acilitate use by push or pulloperations.

I it is necessary to install a door catch or lockrather than a latch mechanism to hold the doorclosed, use a lever handle. Doorknobs shouldbe avoided as they are diicult to grasp.

Door handles and pull handles should belocated at a comortable height or wheelchairand ambulant users as set out in BS8300.

Door handles and pull handles should contrast

with the door.

Use escutcheons that contrast with the aceo the door to aid location o keyholes.

Provide a door pull on doors where no externalhandle is itted so that it is not necessary touse the door key to pull open the door.

Do not use break glass emergency bolts asthey are obstacles or people with disabilities.Large push pads, which can be alarmed inecessary, should be used to allow speedydeparture rom the building.

Lits


Passenger lit

A lit or general access should be located close to

the reception and main circulation routes. The litspeciication is as ollows:

The lit must conorm to the requirements oBS EN 81-1, BS EN 81-2 and BS EN 81-70

In all but the smallest multi-storey acilities, atleast 2 general access lits should be providedto ensure that users are not inconvenienced /stopped rom using the acility i one lit breaksdown or is being serviced.

The lit door must have a clear opening widthappropriate to the size and scale o the acility

and the type o wheelchairs to be used (SeeTable 7).

For sports acilities that will not includewheelchair sports, the internal lit space mustbe at least 1.1m wide x 1.4m clear depthinternally and preerably 2.0m wide and 1.4mdeep.

Where the lit is part o the sports chair zonethe lit door will need to provide a clear openingo 1.2m to accommodate the large sportschairs.


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Outside lift:lift buttoning clearly visible against backgroundclearly visible 'lift coming' indication plus audible signaloor level indicator by raised sign (located adjacent and opposite lift)

Unobstructed oor spacein front of lift door forconvenient entry andmanoeuvring by peoplein wheelchairs

Height range1100 max900 min

'Photo eye'to overridedoor closer

Minimum car depth 1400(See table 6 below)

Minimum

car width 1100

Minimum clearopening(See Tables 6 & 7)

1500 minclear width 1500 min

clear depth

900 height(support rail)

Inside lift:controls mounted on side wall (preferably both side walls)easily visible, with raised control buttonsvisual plus voice indication of oor reachedtelephone with inductive coupleralarm button with visual indication of levelprovide a full width mirror at the back of the car

Height range1100 max900 min

400

(2000 where sportschairs will be used)

Notes:Lit doors should remain open or ive seconds to allow adequate time or entry.

Lit doors must be easily distinguishable rom the adjoining wall.

Consider old-down seats in larger lits.

Figure 13 Lit Critical Details

Notes:Through lits (lits with doors at both ends o the lit car) are available

rom most passenger lit manuacturers. These allow wheelchair usersto enter and leave without reversing, but will impact upon the building

layout. In all but the smallest multi-storey sports halls,at least 2 general access lits should be provided.

Passenger Load Car Width Car length Door Width

Lift capacity Kg mm mm mm (clear)

1

2 2

8 630 1400 9001100

17 1275 1400 11002000

Table 6 Accessible Passenger Lit Car & Door Sizes - Minimum Requirements

All dimensions are in millimetres

1

2

An 8 person passenger lit is the smallest sizethat will meet the requirements or an accessiblelit, but can only carry one wheelchair at a time.

Where the lit is part o the sports chair zone (seeFigure 7), the lit door will need to provide a clear

opening o 1200 to accommodate the large sportschair and an appropriate increase in car size.


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I the minimum car size is used, considerationshould be given to a through car where it ispossible to enter and exit in a orwarddirection.

Otherwise, a mirror should be provided on theback wall o the lit to assist the wheelchairuser who has to reverse out o the lit.

For sports acilities where there will bewheelchair sports lit, the lit size should be2.0m wide and 1.4m deep to accommodate atleast two wheelchairs at a time.

Within the car and at each landing there shouldbe audible announcements and a clear visual

display o the level reached.

The lit controls should be clearlydistinguishable, easy to operate and be withinreach o wheelchair users. The buttons shouldhave tactile numerals and symbols.

Within the car the controls should be locatedon a side wall.

Light ittings within the lit car should belocated so that they do not cause glare; thereshould be a minimum light level o 100 LUX atloor level.

Accurate levelling at landings is critical. This isdependent on regular maintenance.

There should be a minimum ive-second delayto the lit door closing mechanism.

Consider providing a old-down seat in largerlits.

An alarm button should be provided, with arepeater light to show that the alarm bell hassounded. An additional button that can bereached rom loor level should be provided.

The emergency communication system in thelit should incorporate inductive couplers toassist hearing aid users.

In association with the ire oicer and/or

building control oicer, agree whether the litis to be designed and designated or use oremergency purposes (See Section 6.0 and BS9999:2008).

Where lits are located in separate irecompartments, they may, subject to agreementwith the Fire Oicer and risk assessment, beused or emergency evacuation (See Section6.0 and BS 9999:2008).

At each loor level:

There should be clear space o at least 1.5 x

1.5m in ront o the lit.Opposite and adjacent to the lit there shouldbe clearly visible signs with raised numerals/letters indicating the loor level.

Table 7 Lits minimum clear door width requirements

Minimum clear

door width

into lift (mm)

900 * l l l l l ll l l l llllll

1100 * mm ll l l m m

Short-rise verticals s s s s s s s s s

platform lift

Key: lRequired mRecommended sMay be acceptable

Where the lit is providing access between Sportchair Zones the lit should have an eective clear opening width o 1200mm

Note where a sports hall is located above ground level the sports chair zone will extend rom ground loor level up to the loor level where the

sports hall is located and thereore any lit doors etc will need to provide the 1200mm clear eective width.

Clubhous

es/pavilions

generally

Full-sizes

yntheticpitch

Multi-use

gamesarea

Fitnesseq

uipmentroom

Four-courtsportshall**

Six-court

sportshall**

Nine-courtsportshallorlarger**

Cricketin

door

Gymnasti

cshall

Tennisind

oor

Tennisou

tdoor

Bowlsind

oor

Bowlsoutdoor

Tabletenniscentre

Athleticsindoor

Athleticsoutdoor

20mswim

mingpool

25mswim

mingpool

50mswim

mingpool

Clubhouse

s/pavilions(serving

only

naturalturfpitches)

*

**


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A wheelchair stair lift isnot an acceptable meansof access for any type of

sports facility and could be a hazard if fitted onescape stairs.

Vertical platorm

In exceptional circumstances where a passengerlit cannot be accommodated and there is limitedwheelchair use, short-rise vertical platorm lits areacceptable in small acilities. These lits can beparticularly useul in existing buildings where asigniicant change in level would necessitate anextensive ramp arrangement or where space islimited. Note the ollowing details:

Enclosed platorm lits should conorm to ISO9386-1

Non-enclosed platorm lits should conorm toBS 6440

Minimum clear platorm size must be 1.1mwide x 1.4m long

Platorm lits have limited platorm size andcan only accommodate one wheelchair at atime. They are not suitable or sports acilitiescatering or large numbers o wheelchairusers.

Wheelchair stair lit


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6.0 Emergency Escape

Detailed guidance on means o escape or disabledpeople is given in BS 9999:2008 Code o Practiceor ire saety in the design, management and useo buildings, Section 9 part 46 Evacuation odisabled people. The main requirements or asports acility are set out below.

Planning

Give detailed consideration to how disabled peoplewill be evacuated rom the building at an earlystage o the project. Their sae and successulevacuation is dependent upon:

Management arrangements

Layout, in particular the sports chair zonewhere users could be using large sportschairs

Construction o the building.

These three issues cannot be dealt with in isolationeven in the smallest acilities. Early consultationshould take place, initially between the architectand the building manager, to establish:

The physical eatures that can be used tosupport means o escape o disabled people

The numbers o sta that might be availableto provide assistance

The communication systems that can be putin place to ensure that this inormation isconveyed to all disabled people using thebuilding.

Using this inormation an outline ire planevacuation strategy should be developed. In all butthe smallest projects the architect should thenconsult with the building control oicer and the ireoicer to obtain advice and guidance on the

proposed building and evacuation strategy. Inlarger projects a ire consultant may be required inorder to prepare a Fire Engineered solution.

Disabled people

It is not possible to accurately determine thenumbers o disabled people that will use thebuilding; however it is likely that they will includethe ollowing:

Mobility-impaired people

Wheelchair users

People who are dea and hard o hearing

Blind and partially sighted people

People with cognitive disabilities

People with unseen health disabilities such asasthma.

Each o these groups o people may requireeither:

suitable physical eatures to enable them toexit independently

assisted evacuation.

The number o disabled people will howeverdepend upon the type o acility proposed.Facilities designed to cater or training or events

such as the Paralympics will inevitably attract ahigh number o disabled people, not just ascompetitors but also as spectators.

Early in the design process it is important torecognise the cost o providing sta to assistescape rather than taking inclusive design eaturesinto the escape routes.

Multi-storey buildings

In a multi-storey building great care should betaken to ensure that management o the acilitytakes account o disabled peoples requirements especially with regard to emergency evacuation.

A sports acility must be accessible to everyone.Evacuation procedures need to allow everyone tomake their way to a place o relative saetyprotected rom ire and smoke whatever loor theyare on.

The place o saety should be considered as theirst part o their escape and an opportunity to buytime or them to exit the building saely.

With the right physical eatures, many disabledpeople, including wheelchair users, will be able toget out o the building under their own steam.Sometimes however this may be slower than themajority o the people in the building. It is importantthereore that they are able to use the saest


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escape route to make their descent; the opportunityto do this will need to be acilitated by goodcommunication and inormation regarding thenature, extent and position o the emergency.

In the event o a alse alarm, it is important thatdisabled people leaving the building are advisedo this as soon as possible so that they can stoptheir descent and wait or urther instruction.

Where assisted escape is the only option or aperson then this should be provided through themanagement o the building. It should not be letto the ire service to provide assisted escape andtheir duties when attending the ire will be:

lie saety

immediate ire control

rescuing people who are not at immediate risk.

Fire evacuation

An Evacuation strategy must be based on a riskassessment and must ensure that:

Every part o the building has a sae means oescape in emergencies.

Every escape route is ully usable by everyone,

including people with disabilities whereverpracticable.

Evacuation plans

Evacuation plans need to deine comprehensivemanagement procedures or the evacuation o alloccupants including disabled people:

Establish procedures to ensure people areaware o where assistance can be obtained ineeded.

All ire exits on the ground loor should havelevel or ramped access.

Where there is spectator seating the designshould provide a means o escape or disabledspectators.

The number o disabled people using a sportsacility may vary signiicantly according to thenature o the use, ranging rom an individualuser to large numbers o participants,spectators and oicials at large competitions.The evacuation plan should anticipate thesesituations and ensure the adequacy o thebuilding design and o managementprocedures.

The use o personal emergency evacuation plans(PEEPs) is recommended or all people requiring

assistance to leave the building. Details o threetypes o PEEP are given in clause 46.7 o BS9999:2008 Section 9.

Reuges

The design should incorporate reuges on escaperoutes serving or example lights o stairs or anevacuation lit. Reuges are places o relative saetywhere disabled people can wait or short periodso time beore making their way to the inal exit orawait assistance to the inal exit.

I possible, the ire compartmentation o thebuilding should be used to provide a means ohorizontal evacuation to a place o saety. Ideally,

each ire compartment should be served by itsown lit so that a ull evacuation can be achieved.

Where progressive horizontal escape is providedit is important that the building orientation systemrelects this. See Annex G o BS 9999:2008.

Existing buildings may have spaces that can beused as reuges without the need to create newareas.

A reuge o suitable size should be provided at

each loor level or every ire escape staircase. Thereuge area must not restrict the escape width.

In large, complex sports acilities it is essential thatthe responsible person/ire oicer can communicatewith people occupying reuge areas. Thespeciication o a suitable intercom system shouldcomply with BS5839:2003 and be agreed with theire oicer at an early stage in the projectsdevelopment. Where a reuge is located in a lobbyor stairway a Reuge Keep Clear sign should bedisplayed.

The minimum size for a

refuge is 0.9m x 1.4mexcept in facilities such

as sports halls that arelikely to accommodatesports chairs. In suchcases the minimum size

is 1.2m x 1.5m.


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Evacuation lit

To operate in the event o ire, an evacuation litshould:

Be a passenger lit that is always available orevacuation purposes.

Be designed in accordance with BS 8300, BSEN 81-1 or BS EN 81-2 and BS EN 81-70 andBS9999:2008.

Have its own independent electrical supplyand control.

Be clearly signed.

Be located so as to be associated with areuge and escape stair.

Be within a protected enclosure, that is, the litshat itsel and have protected lobbies at eachloor level and a direct route to the outside atthe exit level.

In a building over two storeys, install acommunications system to relay inormation to theperson operating the lit car.

Note that a goods lit should not be used or peoplemovement under any circumstances.

Where a lit o any kind is provided in a compartmentnot eected by the emergency then it may bepossible to use this i a suitable Risk Assessmentis provided.

Sounders / alarms

In large acilities supplement audible alarms withapproved lashing beacons or people with ahearing impairment. The beacons should belocated in areas where people with a hearingimpairment might ind themselves alone andunaware o an emergency evacuation alarm.Flashing beacons must be located so that they are

within the line o sight.

It is important that all members o sta are properlytrained so that they take appropriate steps whena person does not react as expected by usingsuitable communication techniques.

In smaller acilities consideration should be givento providing personal vibrating pagers linked to thealarm system. Vibrating pager systems areparticularly useul or dea sta, who may work ontheir own anywhere within a sports complex.

Where digital visual inormati

Accessible Sports Facilities - 2010

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