Emergency exits of new buildings will have to be accessible to wheelchair users, under design guidelines released yesterday by the National Commission for Persons with Disability.
… much can be done to alleviate the inequalities created by the man-made barriers
The size and use of the building will determine how many emergency features catering for disabled people will have to be incorporated into the building.
For example, hospitals and homes for the elderly, where many wheelchair users are present, are to have more emergency facilities for the disabled than other buildings might have, according to the Access To All 2011 guidelines.
“Whereas little can be done to allay the effect of one’s biological impairment, there is much that can be done to alleviate the inequalities created by man-made barriers,” commission chairman Joseph Camilleri wrote in the guideline document.
“The barriers which we encounter take on many forms, for example: lack of access to goods and services, lack of access to means of communication or information, or more generally negative attitudes. But perhaps the most familiar barrier in the mind of the general public is widespread lack of physical accessibility,” he said.
The document builds on the original design guidelines launched by the commission in 2000 when the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act came into force.
It was created to serve as a guideline for the commission after it was entrusted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to vet new project applications or extensive modifications of public buildings to ensure they were accessible.
Since 2000, the KNPD has continued to develop the guidelines and published revisions in 2006, 2009 and now 2011. This latest set of revisions will come into force in June.
For the first time the revised guidelines include a section on fire safety that talks about emergency exits and the inclusion of visual fire alarms, among other things.
They also include the concept of drop-off points outside buildings. Where possible a drop-off area should be provided that is visible from the main entrance of the building – which should be accessible to all.
In the case of old buildings, a ramp ought to grant access to the main entrance. If this is not doable then an alternative entrance should, where possible, lead to the same reception area as the main entrance.
Parking spaces reserved for disabled people should have an aisle, at least 1.5 metres wide, along its length for easy manoeuvrability.
The full guidelines can be seen on http://knpd.org .