We Care...Access for Persons with Disabilities: 02/24/09

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sharing on Accessibility with Miss Tan Chin Chin

Last two weeks ago our special guest, MissTan Chin Chin has came to our class and share her experince and knowledge about accessibility. Before this, we don't have so much information about (persons with disabilities) OKU. Sometime we confuse about this issue because, we think that all facilities provided are suitable for them. We has learn a lot from her and now we will share the information with all of you.

Accessibility

disabled persons can, without assistance, approach, enter, pass to and from, and make use of a built environment without undue difficulties (Society of the Disabled Persons Penang’s website)

Areas to be considered

•Ramp
•Step ramp
•Pathways and corridors
•Parking space
•Toilets
•Steps and stairs
•Doorways
•Tactile surface / Guilding block

•Drainage grating
•Overhead hazards
•Lifts
•Signage
•Public phone
•ATM machice
•Service counter
•Tables
•Storage spaces, etc

Understanding Space Requirements

Typical dimensions of wheelchairs commonly used by adults

•Minimum floor space required to accommodate a wheelchair user

Minimum clear turning space

1500mm(m'sia)

Minimum floor space required

Reach range for person in wheelchair

Forward Reach

Side Reach

RAMP

RAMP

•Wide should be minimum 1200mm
•Handrails should be provided: (1) at both side, (2) at correct height (and also its diameter), (3) extend horizontally beyond the top and bottom of the ramp with minimum 300 mm
•Raised kerb at open edge – to avoid accident
•Gradient – not steeper than 1:12
•Should have a landing space (1200mm min.) for every 600mm

PARKING SPACE

•Wide: not less than 3600mm
•A sign incorporating the symbol for access by disabled persons should be visible
•Access route from parking lots to the building should be accessible by wheel chair users.

TOILET

•3 methods of wheelchair transfer:
–frontal transfer
–side transfer
–diogonal transfer

Toilet for Disabled Person

Source:Code of Accessibility in the built environment 2007 Singapore

Help us to help them...

We are final year students from School of Social Science majoring in Anthropology & Sosiology. This blog is to share some knowledge and the idea about the accessibility for persons with disabilities. We try to concern on every single places and areas especially at the commercial buildings. We hope that through this blog we can produce conciousness among the community about the importance to provide the comfortable, convenience and applicable facilities for persons with disabilities especially the corporate community. We welcome your opinion, comment and suggestion...Together we share and care about this issue...Help us to keep them smiling...

Accessibility

Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) is accessible by as many people as possible.

Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity.

Accessibility is often used to focus on people with disabilities and their right of access to entities, often through use of assistive technology.

Several definitions of accessibility refer directly to access-based individual rights laws and regulations. Products or services designed to meet these regulations are often termed Easy Access or Accessible.

Accessibility is not to be confused with usability which is used to describe the extent to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

Accessibility is strongly related to universal design when the approach involves "direct access." This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not). -wikipedia-

Disability

Disability is a lack of ability relative to a personal or group standard or norm. In reality there is often simply a spectrum of ability. Disability may involve physical impairment such as sensory impairment, cognitive or intellectual impairment, mental disorder (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability), or various types of chronic disease. A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.

Disability may be seen as resulting directly from individuals, in which case the focus is typically on aspects of those individuals and how they could function better. This view is associated with what is generally termed a medical model of disability. Alternatively, the interaction between people and their environment/society may be emphasized. Here, the focus may be on the role of society in labeling some people as having a disability relative to others, while causing or maintaining disability in those people through attitudes and standards of accessibility that favor the majority (a prejudice dubbed "able-ism"). This view is commonly associated with a human rights or social model of disability. -wikipedia-