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Places for People - Assessing user needs |
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How do we know
what users of spaces need Environmental settings to support the particular needs of the elderly and also those who have difficulties moving around Inclusion by design a useful website. See also Planning and Access for Disabled people: a good practice guide, ODPM Detailed design - Recognising the difficulties some user groups experience in interacting with outdoor spaces The distance people can move varies from person to person - for people with severe disabilities even 30m might seem too far. So we need to be sure that the vehicles that pick people up can get right to the door of their homes - so giving easy access for that person to ambulances, friends' cars and even "shops on wheels". We also need to ensure that there is room for wheelchairs to manoeuvre at the points where people and vehicles will meet. - steps The presence of steps is a major problem for many people with disabilities and they need to be eliminated where possible - it has been done in supermarkets so customers can push their laden trolleys freely to their cars, so surely it is feasible in most other areas of the city. This does not mean that as designers we never use steps, but rather that there should always be a "legible", easily identified route without steps. Whilst those in wheelchairs need ramps, many of those with sticks actually prefer steps. - handrails, ramps, wheelchairs and kerbs However, those using walking sticks do need a handrail to help haul themselves up steps or to lean on when going down. Such handrails need to be solidly constructed and to extend over the top and bottom of the steps to allow the person to regain their balance before moving off. Where possible double handrails should be used to allow for those without use of one arm and those needing to use both hands for balance. Ramps should not have more than a 1:12 slope, although over short distances steeper slopes can be negotiated. Where it is necessary to have a long ramp it is important to have frequent resting places big enough for a wheelchair to be parked off the main track - it is really hard work manoeuvring a wheelchair up a slope, all the more so if you are turning the wheels yourself; not everyone can afford a motorised chair. Using wheelchairs is much more difficult than the able-bodied suspect. Paths have to be wide enough (this applies to walking frames too). Things we take for granted, like drainage channels or the camber of a road, suddenly become major hazards. The wheels get stuck in the channels, the chair moves crabwise and out of control across the camber. As proof of the problems created by cambers, watch the movement of wheelchairs on seaside promenades - the latter are almost always designed to allow any sea water to drain rapidly back into the sea and to do that needs a good slope - the result is that it is hard work to push a wheelchair along many sea fronts! Kerbs are a problem everywhere, even for those wheelchairs with special devices intended to overcome the problem. Kerbs need to be dropped at every place where a path that can be used by a wheelchair intersects with a kerb (or as has been done in Bath, the roadway needs raising - a cheaper solution). The composition of the surface of the ground is important if we want to encourage people with disabilities to use the outside areas of the city. Cobbles form an impossible surface, so they can be used, therefore, as warning signs not to use specific routeways. Gravel too is disliked as a surface to move across by those with walking problems. Even lawns are seen as hostile territory, particularly if they are soft and muddy. Tarmac, level paving slabs without obvious joints between, concrete and brick pavers, providing they are level, are preferred as surfaces to move across. Some detailed design solutions - materials, access, seats, carparking There can be problems with wooden and metal platforms and paths. Slats laid at right angles to the line of movement can cause sticks to become stuck in the cracks and slats laid in the direction of travel can result in the wheels of chairs becoming stuck. The best solution when using such surfacing materials appears to be to lay them diagonally, although there is still a problem for people who use walking sticks. It is essential for the designer to think their way round every part of a design and to think of the problem areas for the elderly and people with disabilities. They should be able to get all round a site and to manoeuvre themselves around easily, if in a wheelchair, without having to move backwards and forwards to get round an obstacle. Seats need to be of differing heights, not as they normally are of one standard size - the elderly find benches difficult to get up from, particularly if the bench is low. The arms need to be solid too, because many older people and people with disabilities lean hard on them as they get up or down. The best type is a high bench with individual armrests for each person - then there is no risk that they will fall over when they lean their weight on an arm to sit down. Seats should be in the shade as well as in the sun. It is important that they are right outside entrances, otherwise they are rarely used. They must appear easy to get to and should be places of light and interest - not places that have to be reached after passing through dark, dull places. They need to be warm and sunny and sheltered and to allow the possibility of sitting in shade when it is hot. Substantial walls about 500mm high for sitting on or strong benches are important to the success of such spaces. An adequate width of parking bay is vital , so that a person can manoeuvre out into a wheelchair - the space needs to be twice as wide as that normally provided for public parking. These dimensions also apply to the parking areas associated with where that person lives.
Some ideas to help design places which work well for those who cannot move around so easily For a wide range of information on factors to consider when designing spaces for those with disabilities see: Cooper Marcus and Francis, 1990, People Places, chapters 5 and 7. The following are brief notes on aspects of laying out sites which relate to the situation in Britain and other countries with similar climates. - to avoid being overlooked When designing any space for people with special needs, the designer should take into account similar factors to those that apply to the rest of the population, but with a different emphasis: for example, nobody likes feeling overlooked when they are sitting outside enjoying the outdoors, not least if the person has an obvious disability. - against glare The glare that bounces off light coloured reflective surfaces (floors and walls) can be particularly troubling ifor the visually impaired. - to feel safe and warm There is a need to feel secure and particularly to feel sheltered and, therefore, warm if the outside is to be enjoyed. - interesting environments There is a need to see a variety of different things to keep people interested and involved with life (plants, wildlife, people, long distant views etc); this is particularly important for those who cannot travel easily. - places for individuals There is a need to have a place in which to be peaceful, particularly if the person has to be looked after very intensively. - for diversity of experience As with designing any space for any group in society, diversity of experience is the key to producing satisfactory outdoor spaces. It is particularly relevant for those who cannot move round very easily. The diversity of experience needs to be provided through time as well as in the detailed design of the physical environment. As environmental designers we can use form, shape, colour, texture and pattern to provide fascination, but we can also provide for different experiences at different times of the year. For instance, winter gardens can be provided in conservatories and special effects incorporated which show at their best in spring and autumn. - to encourage the use of the "outside" The therapeutic value of being outside and working there should not be overlooked, particularly for older people no longer in full time work. Just as there is evidence that being in regular contact with domestic animals allows people to live healthier lives, there is evidence that contact with nature makes people more satisfied with their lives. Mobility problems Mobility problems mean that the elderly often have problems with: hills, ramps, traffic and crossing roads, uneven pavements, steps and kerbs. (However, despite this long list of potential problems for which we as designers have to find solutions, it should be noted that 40% of the elderly have no problems at any time with major illness). One of the problems with immobility, whether caused by long-term illness or disability is that people become isolated - this can lead to the most acute unhappiness and through that to further illness. - balance disorders, which are often associated with ear problems, mean that the environment should be designed so there are plenty of things strong enough to lean against and pull oneself up against. This can be linked to tripping problems - items should not be placed where people might fall over them and surfaces should be safe to walk on. Design and the quality of life One of our jobs as planners and designers of the residential environment is to create situations where people have a chance to come into contact with their neighbours and through that type of occasional unforced meeting, to develop friendships. If the outside is to be attractive, there must be visual stimulation from seeing people as well as views.
Places to visit There is a need for special places to go to in order to enjoy a view or to watch general activity. At such locations it is important that there is something interesting to see from the car and that the view is not obscured. It should be possible to get out of the car into a sheltered place. Shelter from cold winds is important to the person with a disability who is enjoying the experience of the outdoors, as they cannot warm up by fast walking and jogging. The elderly and people with special needs do feel the cold more than the rest of us. Easily accessible toilets It is important that people with disabilities should have easy access to toilets. There need to be good, wide parking bays, the approach should be free of steps, the entrance should be wide enough and the door properly positioned to assist access. Since 1999 such features are now required by law in all public buildings and spaces in Britain. Planting Many people have a great love of plants - they like to look at them, smell them, pluck them, eat the fruit. People with disabilities also like this contact and because they often have difficulty getting close to plants and handling them, we need to take special care to make this an easy and pleasant experience. The traditional way is to provide "planters" to hold the plant material, but it is really much more complex than just providing a box for the plants. "Planters" need to be of different heights for people with different physical problems; they need to be designed so that the person's knees and feet do not bang the edges and stop them getting close to plants. To ensure the plants will survive in raised beds, watering systems become essential. There is a very common misunderstanding of the needs of the visually impaired - planners and designers being wont to suggest a scented garden to add to the possibility of contact with nature. However, a garden full of scented plants becomes the equivalent of a cacophony - chaos ensues. It is important, therefore, to space the scented plants out so that they can act as signposts, rather than to clump them together. Remember too that the role played by texture becomes more important in relation to the visually impaired - surface texture changes can be used as warnings, as can unpleasant feeling plants, for instance, those with thorns. The different feel of plants and the scents that come when the leaves are pressed are also important for those who see less well. Wildlife Well planted gardens can attract wildlife close to the home, so that even those with severe disabilities can feel personally involved with nature. Carefully designed water features can introduce different noises in different parts of an outdoor space. Devices that make noises as the wind brushes them can add different types of sound, making up for the sensory deprivation that faces many people. Where possible consider the provision of places for hens, ducks and other domesticated animals. They can be a never ending source of fascination and involvement for those who cannot get about to see what is happening elsewhere; they have the greatest need of a fascinating home environment. See also paper in this website on Benefits of Nature near Homes |
Settings and users Activities Assessing user needs
Stranger High density Security
Designing for Children's Play in Housing Areas
Designing
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Text and Photographs
(unless stated otherwise) © Anne R. Beer, Map21 Ltd,
2001, all rights reserved. |
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Web pages by Map21 Ltd
Latest update 6 Nov 2003