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Education

8.5.5 Horizontal Movement and Activities

See fact sheets 6.5 Entrances and Lobbies, 6.6 Lobbies and Corridors and 6.20 Colour and Lighting.

Movement at each level should be unimpeded and unobstructed. Corridors and activity spaces should permit independent wheelchair manoeuvre and movement by people with visual disabilities. The use of colour, texture, lighting and signage can all contribute to the clarity with which the building can be comprehended.

Corridors should ideally be a minimum of 1800mm wide to allow for wheelchairs to pass each other. At changes in direction, turning circles for wheelchair users should be not less than 1500mm.

Door openings across corridors should have a minimum clear opening of 750mm with vision panels positioned to avoid the risk of collision. If a door must be provided for the purposes of fire protection, the obstacle formed by a cross-corridor door can be avoided by using electromagnetic "hold open" devices wired into the fire alarm system.

To all doors, ironmongery should be easily visible, easy to grip and turn and be at an accessible height. Lever handles of 20mm diameter generally allow for ease of use for users. Where doors are fitted with automatic closing devices, these should be set so that the door is not too stiff and difficult to open. The maximum closing force at the leading edge of the door should not exceed 20N.

To main entrance and circulation areas, automatic doors controlled by infrared detection may offer a solution. To other areas, an automatic door operated by a push pad or remote control may be more suitable.

Lighting to corridors should be uniform and should avoid areas of contrasting glare and shade or silhouetting.

Activity Spaces

Teaching areas including classrooms and halls should be furnished to allow for main circulation routes similar to that required for corridors.

Signage, contrasting colours to walls, floors, doors and furniture will aid orientation of all users and can be imaginatively used to create a stimulating environment. Teaching and training areas should be equipped to provide hearing assistance.

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