Orbis Classic -The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA), Approved doc M & BS 8300

The implementation of legislation in 1996 made it a legal duty on those responsible for buildings used by the general public, and employers responsible for places of work, to ensure that the building and its facilities are accessible to disabled people. The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA) is to make it a duty to avoid discrimination againsts disabled people and this duty requires that Service Providers make "reasonable" adjustments to the design of the building in order to provide this universal level of access.

The details on this page are a simple summary of the primary sources of information related to the use of hardware products in order to satisfy disabled access.

The Disability Discrimination Act

It is important to remember that the Disability Discrimination Act is civil rights legislation and does not set out specific requirements or guidance in the design of buildings. As such it is therefore not appropriate to attach any notion of conformity to products, such as "The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA) compliant" or "Conforms to The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA) requirements". The legislation came into force on 1st October 2004. Any new building or alterations to existing buildings, in order to satisfy obligations under the The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA), must comply (in England & Wales) with The Building Regulations, and in particular, the 2004 edition of Approved Document M , ADM which became effective in May 2004. Where certain issues are not covered in ADM, further reference will be made to BS 8300.

Further detailed information can be obtained from the following:

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (opens in a new window): www.odpm.gov.uk

Association of Buildiers Hardware Manufacturers (opens in a new window): www.abhm.org.uk

BSI Customer Services: cservices@bsi-global.com

Office of Public Sector Information (opens in a new window): www.uk-legislation.hmso. gov.uk

Disability Rights Commission (opens in a new window): www.drc-gb.org

Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (opens in a new window): www.gai.org.uk

Approved Document M , ADM
The main requirements set out in ADM are, as with all parts of The Building Regulations, performance based and the guidelines set out in the document are recognised as one way of achieving the requirements. The scope of the requirements are clearly set out, requiring that provision is made for people to "a) gain access to and b) use the building and its facilities". This includes the provision of sanitary accomodation in domestic and non-domestic buildings. ADM applies not only to new building but also to alterations and extension of existing buildings. Where certain issues are not covered within ADM, further reference will be made to BS 8300. ADM contains a number of very specific requirements for the following aspects related to architectural hardware specification

BS 8300:2001
This standard provides guidance on good practice in the design of buildings to make them suitable for use by disabled people. The standard is often used as a supplement to ADM and includes more specific dimensional guidance, particularly regarding the sizes of door operating hardware. BS 8300 contains the following recommendations related to architectural hardware specification.

Accessible Doors
ADM recognises that negotiating entrance doors can be difficult for the general public, not just disabled people: parents with children, those carrying luggage or with pushchairs etc. It is stated within ADM that doors which are required to be self closing must require a force no greater than 20N at the leading edge in order to open them. In most practical applications "A powered door opening and closing system .... is the most satisfactory solution for most people" (ADM 2.10). Although the 20 Newtons ‘rule’ technically still exists it has been generally superceded by a two-phase criteria established within BS 8300 in 2005. This states a maximum opening force of 30N at the initial opening stage (0° to 30°), reducing to 22.5N from 30° to 60° opening angle.

Accessible Doors
Aside from the ‘headline’ figures of ADM, the guidance in BS 8300 points clearly to the use of powered solutions including low energy operators to achieve the level of accessibility required on external doors (including recommendations for the positioning of any manual controls.

Fire & Smoke Doors
BS EN 1154 requires fire doors to be held closed by a door closer with a minimum power size 3. This requires a force in excess of 20N (see chart below) and therefore puts it into conflict with the 20N opening force requirement of ADM. In these circumstances ADM recommends the use of electromagnetic hold open or low energy door operators. For fire doors within corridors the preference is for electromagnetic hold open units. Where privacy is still a requirement, such as doors to individual rooms, an electromagnetic device which offers a 'swing free' facility is preferable.

Fire & Smoke Doors
Doors to escape stairs and final exit doors are not specifically covered in ADM. In BS 8300 it is considered suitable to use a conventional door closer in these cases, as such doors are likely to be opening in the direction of escape (ie push to exit). In these situations BS 8300 recommends a maximum opening force of 30N.

Closing & Opening forces
As can be seen from the chart opposite, a door closer power size 1 with only the minimum efficiency allowed in the EN standard (50%) will not satisfy the maximum opening force to satisfy the 20N limit in ADM. Also clearly evident is the fact that a power size 3 closer (the min. allowed in satisfying the requirements for a fire door) has an opening force at the edge of the door beyond the 30N maximum allowed in the revised regulations. Only high efficiency closers will therefore meet the dual requirements for an accessible fire door.

Internal Doors
For internal doors which need to be self closing for privacy or environmental reasons, they must meet the maximum opening force criteria of 20N. In these circumstances a high efficiency variable power door control is required. When set to the lowest strength (size 1) to reduce the opening force it may cause problems in latching the door, especially in locations which may be susceptible to drafts or air pressure differences. Locks with a 'soft action latch' and high quality hinges will help in making sure the door latches properly each time.

Approved Document M , ADM

Door Opening Hardware
Guidance on the specification for door hardware falls into 2 main categories
-ability to grip and operate the hardware
-ability to visually locate the hardware

Door Opening Hardware
BS 8300 is more detailed in its recommendations, prescribing dimensional parameters for locks & latches, lever and pull handle furniture.

Ability to grip and operate the hardware
The requirement within ADM is that "where fitted with a latch, the door door opening furniture can be operated with one hand using a closed fist, e.g. a lever handle" (ADM 2.17).

Whilst no specific dimensional requirements are laid down in ADM, such recommendations are covered in BS 8300.

It is a requirement of ADM that external handles (ie those used to (from edge open manual external doors), should not be 'cold to the touch'. Whilst most people will find a bare metal handle unpleasant to grip in the depths of winter, for some, particularly elderly people, it can be quite painful.

Locks & Latches
To improve physical and visual access to the lever and lock keyway, the distance from the edge of the door and between the lever and keyway should be maximised; “…the cylinder should be either above the handle and the keyway … should be 72mm” (B S 8300 – 65 3 2)

It also requires a backset of 54mm minimum (from edge of door to the lockcase operating centre – see diagram).

Whilst lever handles are the preferred solution, there are circumstances where other issues can take precedence. The requirement to prevent self harm is one such issue where the risk associated with the lever furniture takes precedence over disabled access. Such situations will be covered by the provision of an Access Statement at the planning stage.

Pull handles
Recommendations are included concerning the positioning and size of pull handles

• Minimum diameter 19mm
• Projection from door face 45mm
• Mounting height for pull handles as shown opposite

Recommendations also include the provision of a horizontal pull handle on doors fitted with a latch to enable wheelchair users to pull the door closed. See diagram.

Building Regulations in Scotland & Northern Ireland
Technical Handbooks are published to guide specifiers in Scotland and Northern Ireland in much the same way as ADM but are not as detailed, offering little or no guidance in the specification of door hardware although the amended Technical Booklet (Part R) published in Northern Ireland does contain specific information related to handrailing and sanitary fittings. In most cases the Handbooks for Scotland refer specifiers to the guidance contained in BS 8300.

Grab rails
Part M3 of Approved Document M of The Building Regulations covers the provision of sanitary facilities. Whilst not specifically part of the Orbis Classic range, we have a full range of grab rails and disabled fittings. Please contact your Laidlaw Technical Consultant for further details.

Colour contrast & light reflectance
For people with impaired vision the ability to identify key objects in the environment determines their ability to live independantly. It is a requirement of ADM that "all door opening furniture (on manually operated doors) contrasts visually with the surface of the door" (ADM 2.17). "All door furniture should contrast in colour and luminance with the surface of the door ..." (BS 8300 - 6.5.1)

The measure of brightness or luminance is measured by the amount of light which objects reflect (Light Reflectance Value - LRV). Whilst people with impaired vision may not be able to easily identify colour they will generally be able to identify some reflected light. The greater the difference in LRV between the door and the hardware, ie the contrast between the two, the easier the hardware will be to locate. On a basic scale of 1 - 100, where a black object which reflects very little light has a LRV of typically less than 10, the recommended contrast is 30 points of difference (although it is recognised that a value of 20 points may be adequate).

Metallic finishes
The suitability of metallic finishes is a complex issue due to numerous external factors which affect the percieved LRV of metallic substrates. The level and angle of incident light, the colour and nature of the door surface and the surrounding structure of walls, ceiling and floor will all have a bearing on the amount of light which each item of hardware reflects. It is therefore not possible to state which finishes are good and which are not; each must be judged in context to the surrounding environment.

Recent Research
The Research Group for Inclusive Environments was commissioned to undertake specific research in this area in association with the GAI (Guild of Architectural Ironmongers). A small (but nonetheless representative) group of visually impaired people tested actual ironmongery samples against various typical door finishes. Results showed that even at LRV differences of 10, over 72% of the test sample were confident of locating the hardware. It is thought that the 3D nature of the hardware, with its highlights and shadows contributes to the ease of location. Also, the nature of the hardware (gloss or matt) appeared to have no significant bearing on how easy it is to detect (see www.gai.org.uk for further information).

Measurements
Available to specifiers of Laidlaw products is a portable 'Spectrophotometer' which enables LRV readings to be taken of any material, for example door finishes and veneers, to compare with LRV readings of Laidlaw products. Please ask your Laidlaw Technical Consultant for more information.

CPD seminars
Laidlaw can provide a comprehensive series of RIBA approved CPD seminars including presentations covering The Equality Act 2010 (formerly The DDA) and Doc M issues. Subjects covered will include all aspects of colour contrast and demonstrations on the use of the 'Spectrophotometer'.