Accessibility Law Notes

Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 - Accessibility Law

Outside and Around Buildings

Dropped Curbs

• Location:
  • Walkways with elevation changes.
  • Pedestrian crossings.
  • Ends of footpaths.
• Width:
  • As wide as the crossing, or a minimum of $900$ mm.
• Gradient:
  • Ramped towards adjoining curbs with a gradient not more than $1:12$.
  • Sloped towards the road with a maximum cross gradient of $1:20$.
• Height:
  • The lowest point of the curb should not exceed $25$ mm above the road/gutter.
• Design Considerations:
  • Continuous curb to prevent water collection.
  • Inclined surface on ramp not to exceed $1:12$.
  • $1:20$ slope towards street gutter.
  • Variations considered at corners.

Curb Cut-outs

• Conditions for Use:
  • Allowed only when it does not obstruct or lessen the width of a walkway.
• Minimum Width:
  • $900$ mm.
• Gradient:
  • Not more than $1:12$.

Walkways

• Surface:
  • Kept as level as possible.
  • Provided with slip-resistant material.
• Minimum Width:
  • $1200$ mm.
• Gradient:
  • No more than $1:20$ or $5\%$.
  • Maximum cross gradient of $1:100$.
• Surface Irregularities:
  • No abrupt pitches in angle or interruptions by cracks that create edges above $6.5$ mm.
• Gratings:
  • Maximum opening dimension of $13$x$13$ mm.
  • Shall not project more than $6.5$ mm.
• Rest Stops/Turning Spaces:
  • Minimum dimension of $1500$ mm.
  • Provided in lengthy walkways.
  • Maximum distance of $12$ meters between stops.
• Routes:
  • Straightforward routes with right angle turns should be observed for the blind.
• Maintenance:
  • Regular maintenance of adjacent plantings needed to avoid overgrowth and obstruction.
• Headroom:
  • Walkway headroom shall not be less than $2$ meters.
• Obstructions:
  • Passageway for the disabled should not be obstructed by furniture, bollards, etc.

Handrails

• Location:
  • Both sides of ramps and stairs.
  • Outer edges of dropped curbs at crossings.
• Height:
  • $900$ mm and $700$ mm above steps or ramps.
  • $1$ or $1.06$ meters if for protection at great heights.
• Extension:
  • $300$ mm long extension at start and end of ramps and stairs.
• Hand Grips:
  • $30$ to $50$ mm wide.
• Clearance:
  • Minimum clearance of $50$ mm from the wall or $40$ mm from the ledge if attached to walls or ledges.

Open Spaces

• Walkway Edges:
  • Defined edges using planters with dwarf walls, grass verge, or similar to provide a texture different from the path to aid the blind.

Signage

• Location:
  • Located at points conveniently seen, even by a person on a wheelchair.
• Design:
  • Simple and easy to understand.
  • Made of contrasting colors and gray values to make detection and reading easy.
• Headroom:
  • Minimum headroom of $2$ meters if a sign protrudes into a walkway.
• Wall/Door Signage:
  • Maximum height of $1.60$ meters and a minimum height of $1.40$ meters.
• Raised Elements:
  • Minimum height of $1$ mm for raised letters and symbols in labeling public areas (Braille should also be included).

Crossings

• Design:
  • Perpendicular to the carriageway.
  • Located at the narrowest part of the road.
  • Central refuges of at least $1.5$ m deep and preferably $2$ m where the width of the road to be crossed exceeds $10$ m.
• Tactile Surfaces:
  • Tactile blocks in the immediate vicinity of crossings as an aid to the blind.
  • High enough to be felt but low enough not to cause tripping.
  • Brushed or grooved concrete have not proved successful as tactile strips.
• Light/Audible Signals:
  • Light controlled crossings and audible signals are best for the disabled.
  • Audible signals should be distinguishable, indicating the end of crossing time.
• Crossing Period:
  • Minimum of $6$ seconds crossing period or crossing distance times $0.9$ m/sec crossing speed, whichever is greater.

Parking Areas

• Width:
  • Minimum width of $3.70$ m for accessible parking slots.
• Location:
  • As close as possible to building or accessible entrances.
  • Perpendicular or at an angle to the road or circulation areas.
• Walkways:
  • $1.2$ m clear width between front ends of parked cars from accessible spaces.
• Signage:
  • Signs or markings for handicapped parking should be provided.
• Slope:
  • Should never be located at sloping areas.

Inside Buildings and Structures

Entrance

• Accessibility:
  • At least 1 entrance to every building should be accessible from arrival and departure points to the interior lobby.
• Vestibules:
  • Level area with at least $1.8$ m depth and a $1.5$ m width.
• Ramps:
  • Required if the entrance is not at the same level as the site arrival grade.

Ramps

• Requirement:
  • Required for elevation change except when served by a dropped curb, an elevator, or other mechanical device.
• Clear Width:
  • $1.2$ m.
• Maximum Gradient:
  • $1:12$.
• Maximum Length:
  • $6$ meters if the gradient is $1:12$.
• Landings:
  • Ramps exceeding $6$ meters with a gradient of $1:12$ shall be provided with landings no less than $1.5$ m.
• Level Areas:
  • Not less than $1.8$ m at the top and bottom.
• Handrails:
  • Provided on both sides at $700$ mm and $900$ mm from the ramp level.
• Curbs:
  • Equipped with curbs on both sides with a minimum height of $100$ mm.
• Ramps near vehicular areas:
  • Ramp with a rise greater than $200$ mm and leads down towards a vehicular area should have a railing across the full width of its lower end, not less than $1.8$ m from the foot of the ramp.

Doors

• Clear Width:
  • $800$ mm minimum.
• Clear Level Space:
  • Minimum clear level space of $1.5$x$1.5$ m shall be provided before and extending beyond a door.
  • Exception: Where a door opens onto but not into a corridor, the required clear level space on the corridor side of the door may be a minimum of $1.2$ m corridor width.
• Outswinging Doors:
  • Should be provided at storage rooms, closets, and PWD toilet stalls.
• Hardware:
  • Latching or non-latching hardware should not require wrist or fine finger actions.
  • Doorknobs and other hardware should be located between $0.82$ m and $1.06$ m above the floor ($900$ mm is preferred).
• Door Pulls:
  • Vertical pull handles centered at $1.06$ m above the floor are preferred to horizontal pull bars for all doors.
• Kick Plates:
  • Doors along major circulation routes should be provided with kick plates at a height of $300$ mm to $400$ mm.

Thresholds

• Height:
  • Maximum height of $25$ mm, preferably ramped for thresholds and sliding door tracks.

Switches

• Position:
  • Manual switches shall be positioned within $1.2$ m to $1.3$ m above the floor.
  • Located no further than $200$ mm from the latch side of the door.

Corridors

• Clear Width:
  • $1.2$ meter minimum clear width (shall have no obstruction).
• Turnabout Spaces:
  • Minimum area of $1.5$x$1.5$ m, spaced at a maximum of $12$ m for wheelchair passes and turning around.
  • Provided at or within $3.5$ m of every dead-end.
• Surface:
  • Maintained level and provided with a slip-resistant surface.

Washrooms & Toilets

• Dimension:
  • $1.7$ x $1.8$ meters minimum dimension for accessible toilets.
• Turning Space:
  • A turning space of $2.25$ sqm with a minimum dimension of $1.5$ m for wheelchairs shall be provided outside water closet stalls.
• Accessible Water Closets:
  • Minimum of 1 accessible water closet on each floor level (or on that part of a floor accessible to the PWD) where the total number of water closets per sex is 20.
  • Minimum of 2 accessible water closets on each floor level (or on that part of a floor accessible to the PWD) where the total number of water closets per sex exceeds 20.
• Water Closet Height:
  • Maximum height of water closet should be $450$ mm.
• Flush Control Height:
  • Maximum height of $1.2$ m.
• Lavatories:
  • Maximum height of lavatories should be $800$ mm with a knee recess of $600-700$ mm vertical clearance and a $500$ mm depth.
• Urinals:
  • Urinals should have an elongated lip, the maximum height of the lip should be $480$ mm.
• Signage:
  • Men's washroom: Equilateral triangle with a vertex pointing upward (length of sides should be $300$ mm).
  • Women's washroom: Circle (diameter should be $300$ mm).

Stairs

• Treads:
  • Slip-resistant material.
  • Edges of steps should be colored to be easily seen.
• Nosing:
  • Slanted nosing is preferred over protruding nosing.
  • Open stringer should be avoided.
• Tactile Strip:
  • A $300$ mm wide tactile strip shall be provided before hazardous areas such as a sudden change in elevation and at the top and bottom of stairs.

Elevators

• Location:
  • Accessible elevators should be located not more than $30$ meters from the entrance.
• Dimension:
  • Shall have a minimum dimension of $1.1$ x $1.4$ meters.
• Button Height:
  • Centerline height of topmost buttons shall be between $0.9-1.2$ m from the floor.
• Button Size:
  • Minimum diameter of $20$ mm with maximum depression depth of $1$ mm.

Safety

Fencing For Road & Foot Works

• Height:
  • Height of the rail should be at least $1$ m above the adjacent surface.
• Tapping Rails:
  • Should not be greater than $350$ mm above the adjacent surface.
• Strength and Gaps:
  • Fence should be strong enough to resist people walking into it, and gaps between adjoining fences should not occur.

Signages

• Walkway Width:
  • Place sign on carriageway if it will diminish walkway width to less than $1.20$ m.
• Location Preference:
  • Signs should be located on verges or similar where these are available.
• Braille:
  • Legend in Braille, textured symbols on plan (embossed).