Most people who plan to build a home for themselves and their family don’t initially think about making it barrier-free, or at least barrier-free. Life circumstances can change quickly. For this reason, in our opinion, when designing the house it is appropriate to think of a home without barriers, even if at the time of construction of the house there is no disability and the retirement age is still far away. A barrier-free home also offers good protection against domestic accidents. Below we provide information on what to pay attention to when planning and building barrier-free:
WHAT EXACTLY DOES ACCESSIBILITY MEAN?
Based on the Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act (BGG), the term accessibility in the construction sector is defined as follows: “Building facilities are barrier-free to the extent that they can be reached and used by persons with disabilities in the usual way, without particular difficulties and generally without external help”. In principle this means that there can be no steps and that all passages are sufficiently wide. The controls, including the toilets, can be reached while sitting and all floor coverings are non-slip and non-slip.
By the way, the absence of architectural barriers does not automatically mean wheelchair accessibility. The two terms are precisely defined in DIN 18040. A wheelchair-accessible apartment fulfills further criteria in addition to the requirements for a barrier-free apartment, namely a larger door width and larger areas of minimum movement, for example in the bathroom and kitchen.
Since barrier-free design and construction ensure that even in old age you can continue to live in your home and avoid moving, accessibility is also an element of sustainable construction. Your home will remain future-proof for you in all circumstances. It’s worth thinking about even when you’re young.
PROVIDE SPACE TO MOVE
There are some accessibility elements that you can take into account when designing your home without incurring large additional costs. This includes, for example, an easy-closing entrance door with a clear width of at least 90 cm. By the way, a stroller will fit better. To be barrier-free, internal doors should be at least 80 cm wide and 2.05 m high. Internal doors with a clear width of at least 90 cm are wheelchair accessible. The same applies to terrace and balcony doors.
For people in wheelchairs and with mobility aids, sufficient space for movement must be taken into account when designing the home. Specifically, this means that corridors should be at least 1.20 m wide and each room should have a free circulation area of 1.20 x 1.20 m to be considered barrier-free. For a house to be wheelchair accessible, movement areas of at least 1.50 x 1.50 m are required, for example in the kitchen or bathroom. This means you can get up from the wheelchair in the bathroom without running out of space and sit on the toilet or on the edge of the tub. A lateral approach area of at least 50 cm must be maintained in front of the control elements to allow the movement of wheelchair users.
If a house is built on several floors, the stairs should ideally be straight with a usable width of 1 m. This makes the stairs safer overall and facilitates the subsequent installation of a stair lift.
AVOID TRIPPING HAZARDS
Thresholds are difficult for wheelchairs and walkers to overcome and should therefore be avoided. Incidentally, this is generally a good prevention against falls. Technically essential thresholds can only be 2 cm high at most to be considered barrier-free.
The shower in the bathroom should also be designed without a threshold and have space for installing grab bars and a shower chair. This is not only barrier-free in the sense of the above definition, but also offers each resident greater convenience and living comfort.
The slip resistance of interior floor coverings should correspond to at least classification group R9. Non-slip tiles are ideal because not only are they easy to clean and easy to walk on, but they also look good and are long-lasting. Laminate and parquet are also suitable for barrier-free living, while carpet is less recommended in living rooms. When planning keep in mind that slopes greater than 4% pose a particular challenge for people with walking disabilities and should ideally be avoided outdoors.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT HEIGHT
The eye height of a seated person (in a wheelchair) is approx. 1.20 m. If floor-to-ceiling windows are not already provided, uninterrupted views to the outside in living rooms and bedrooms require a maximum parapet height of 60cm.
In the bathroom, toilets must be installed at a height between 46 and 48 cm (top edge including the seat cushion). Washbasins must be accessible and a mirror must be visible from both a sitting and standing position. The controls for the shower tap and hand shower as well as the handles for standing users must each be installed at a height of 85 cm.
This height generally applies to door handles and light switches next to the door. But other control elements such as frequently used sockets, intercom or video systems and control devices for underfloor heating should also be installed at a height of between 85 and a maximum of 115 cm.
In the kitchen you need to be able to easily reach the stove, fridge-freezer and dishwasher, even while sitting, with as little distance as possible on foot or by car. Work surfaces should be accessible and upper cabinets should be vertically movable. So even the kitchen is considered barrier-free.
NOT JUST STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY
In addition to the structural requirements, a house or apartment is only barrier-free if the furnishings are adapted to the corresponding requirements. So, for example, you should avoid the trip hazard caused by overlapping carpets and not place furniture in such a way that someone can easily collide with someone. All furnishings must be accessible and usable even by wheelchairs. However, if necessary, changes can be made to the interior of the house relatively quickly, while it is better to take structural requirements for accessibility into account during the design phase. Your nearest construction partner will be happy to advise you in this regard.
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