Universal Design for People with Disabilities: A Study of Access Provisions in Public Housing Estates

Grace K. L. Lee, Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (email: [email protected] ) Edwin H.W. Chan, Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (email: [email protected] ) Antony T S Chan, Swire Properties Management Limited (email: [email protected] )

Abstract

Freedom of movement from place to place is recognized as a basic human right. Everybody regardless of his/her age and physical condition should have proper and convenient access to certain places in their daily lives. In order to ensure that all residents including those with disabilities can access to places that the public is entitled or allowed to enter or to use, adequate provision of unobstructed access is required. In Hong Kong, Disability Discrimination Ordinance and the code for Barrier Free Access Design are two major pieces of legal control regulating unobstructed access. In this paper, a comprehensive review of these requirements or other relevant regulations is conducted in order to identify whether there is room for improvement in the building laws regulating access for people with disabilities (PWDs), to aim for Universal Design. In addition, this paper also presents the result of a study which has investigated the accessibility of PWDs in public housing estates serving the majority of Hong Kong population. This case study is valuable to identify the inadequacies of current access provisions for PWDs and highlight the areas requiring further improvement. Based on the review of existing legislative controls and the case studies, some possible solutions for improving present building regulations are generated.

Keywords: Barrier free access, Universal design, Public housing estates, Building Regulations

1. Introduction

The main purpose of this research is to review the current regulatory controls on unobstructed access, and investigate the accessibility of PWDs in public housing estates serving the majority of Hong Kong population. By conducting the checkwalk exercises, the accessibility problems in the selected public housing estates representing typical public housing estates built in different periods between the 1970’s and the 1990’s can be identified, and recommendations to be considered in the future design and construction of public housing estates in order to meet the needs of PWDs can also be highlighted.

1195 2. Controls over unobstructed access for PWDs

2.1 Disability Discrimination Ordinance

The Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO) Cap.487 was enacted in 1995 and became fully operative in December 1996. It ascertains that PWDs have their entitlement to an equal right on accessibility. In addition, it prohibits discrimination against PWDs for failing to provide reasonable means of access to any premise that the public or a section of the public is entitled or allowed to enter or to use, or for refusing to provide appropriate facilities. For the purposes the DDO, the issues of accessibility by the PWDs will be considered with reference to the current needs.

2.2 Design Manual: Barrier Free Access

In order to legalizing disabled access requirements, in 1984, disabled access requirements were introduced into the Building (Planning) Regulation under the Buildings Ordinance and a guideline “Design manual access for the disabled” was announced. Since the promulgation of the DDO, an improved design guide called “Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 1997 (BFA)” was introduced. Compliance with the BFA is deemed to have satisfied the statutory requirements for barrier free access under the Building (Planning) Regulations. Basically, the BFA sets out design requirements for new and substantially altered buildings. It aims at providing proper barrier-free access to appropriate facilities in a building for PWDs. In 2006, an updated version of the design manual “Final Draft Design Manual: Barrier Free Access” was issued by the Buildings Department for consultation. The new draft version enhances the design standards to make the built-environment more accessible and aesthetically pleasing. It is still a consultation paper not yet implemented as part of the regulatory control

3. Universal design in public housing estates

The new draft design manual not only encompasses obligatory design requirements but also recommended design requirements to better provide a new concept of “Universal Design” environment for everyone. Barrier free design even with latest technological assistance may also result in separate and stigmatizing solutions. Universal design is a relatively new concept that emerged from "barrier-free" and "assistive technology" [5]. Universal design takes into account of other issues such as the aesthetics and appeals to a wide range of consumers. It provides a broad-spectrum solution not just for people with disabilities, but also for everyone. Experts of the Centre of Universal Design collaborated to establish the Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications. The following 7 principles may be applied to evaluate existing designs, guide the design process and educate both designers and consumers about the characteristics of more usable products and environments [2]:

• Equitable use

1196 • Flexibility in use • Simple and intuitive • Perceptible information • Tolerance for error • Low physical effort • Size and space for approach and use

Therefore, apart from the BFA code used in Hong Kong, this study also referred to barrier free design codes used in other overseas countries to look for ways to better provide a “Universal Design” environment for the PWDs. In this study, the major overseas barrier free design codes that have been consulted are:

• Barrier Free Design in Japan-Code of Practice for Design for Access and working Commission Report 1989, Kanagawa Prefecture • Barrier Free Design in the United States-ATBC Board 1982, Minimum Guidelines and Requirements for Standards for Accessibility • Barrier Free Design in Canada, Public Works Canada 1985, Barrier-Free Design: Access to and Use of Buildings by Physically Handicapped • Barrier Free Design in Netherlands-Provinciale Stichting Gelderland 1984, Requirements for Access • Barrier Free Design in Singapore-Public Works Department 1990, Code on Barrier-Free Accessibility in Buildings

4. Research methodology

To achieve the aims of the project, a methodology for carrying out this project was formulated and it could be described in 4 stages as follows:

• Establishment of local and overseas regulatory control references • Selection of typical public housing estates; • Preparation of checklists; • Carrying out of checkwalks; and • Data analysis.

4.1 Selection of typical public housing estates

There are more than 170 public rental housing estates under the direct management of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) in Hong Kong. It would not be feasible to carry out a survey on each of them to reveal the accessibility issues for the PWDs. After a thorough desk top study and discussion among the Research Team members, 4 public housing estates were selected. All of these housing estates are located in the same district and the housing estates selected would be of significant value because they represent different types of estates built in a particular

1197 period. The 4 selected estates i.e. CH Estate and WH Estate, SL1 Estate, SL2 Estate are built in the 1970s’, the 1980s’ and the 1990s’ respectively, and cover the housing block types i.e. Trident, Harmony, Linear, New Slab, Old Slab and Double H which are the most common building forms observed among estates in the district. Apart from the domestic blocks, a variety of communal facilities e.g. market, mall, car park, ball court and playground equipment provided in each of 4 selected estates were also surveyed.

4.2 Preparation of checklists

With reference to the design requirements in the Hong Kong BFA code and overseas’ barrier free design codes to achieve Universal Design, the Research Team studied the building plans of the selected estates to recognize the material characteristics of the housing estates and to identify the critical areas for assessment on site. With a draft checklist developed for discussion with practitioners for refinement, a full checklist was created for the checkwalk exercise on site.

After preparing a draft checklist, the Research Team studied the building plans of 4 selected estates to recognize the characteristics of the housing estates. Then, the Research Team walked through the building plans mentally as users with the benefit of discussion among Architects and Building Surveyors. The checklist is refined and finalized in order to facilitate the checkwalks for assessing the accessible design of built environment in a logical sequence.

4.3 Carrying out of checkwalks

Checkwalks were conducted in 6 separate days to examine accessibility issues for PWDs on site. The Research Team spent 1- 2 days (about 4 - 6 working hours) on each of 4 selected estates in early 2007. In order to ensure that the most common types of housing blocks were covered in the checkwalks and increase the reliability of the survey findings, it was decided that at least 2 housing blocks of each type were selected for study in each estate, and at least 4 floors of each block type were studied. For example, 2 Trident blocks in CH Estate, 2 New Slab blocks and 2 Double H blocks in SL1 Estate, and 2 Harmony blocks in SL2 Estate, and 2 Linear blocks and 2 Old Slab blocks in WH Estate were studied. Equipment employed to measure and to record the relevant data during the checkwalks included a measuring tape for dimensions and a digital camera for recording, etc.

4.4 Assessment criteria and grading

For each estate, the Research Team assessed the accessibility of PWDs on site. Due consideration had been given to any special circumstance on site. The team members are qualified building professionals and had to bear their architectural and surveying expertise to assess items affecting accessibility of PWDs. The assessed items were classified into 4 main categories for data analysis. The first category included those items found to have fully complied with the requirements. The second category included those items found to be totally non-compliant or with no provisions at all. The third category included those items that were not applicable to the estate. The forth category included all other items that were provided on

1198 site but were non-compliant with the standards. Within this last category, the items were further graded according to the degree of compliance with the requirements. The grading assessment by the Research Team was based on a set of qualitative criteria including a combination of:

1) For each item provided/ observed along the checkwalk routing, the Research Team estimated the % of that item appearing to be completely non-compliant with the requirements or with no provisions at all; 2) For each item provided/ observed along the checkwalk routing but not classified under the category of total non-compliant, the Research Team assessed the adequacy and the completeness of that item provided on site; 3) The assessment would also take into account of the frequent use of the facilities provided and whether there were alternative provisions which were reasonably convenient.

The grading is not an exact science that could be justified simply by counting, but the grading relies very much upon the Research Team’s professional judgment with reference to the above criteria. The grades are only indicative of the degree of non-compliance with the requirements. The grading provided the Research Team one of the criteria to determine the priority for rectifying the non-complying defects.

5. Data analysis

5.1 Summary of findings for domestic blocks

The housing block types selected for this study are comprised of Trident, Harmony, Linear, New Slab, Old Slab and Double H due to their popularity among estates in the district. Block types of Trident, Old Slab and Linear were all built in 1970s. Both New Slab and Double H were built in 1980s whereas Harmony was built in 1990s.

The different block types are standard designs. During the visit to each of the 4 estates, the Research Team assessed the accessible design for at least 2 blocks of each block type. The rationale for assessment criteria and grading had been discussed in Section 4.4. The main purpose of the grades is to provide a record for the team members to check back in office when assessing the priority for rectifying the non-complying defects. With reference to the grades obtained for individual block in four selected estates, it is possible to obtain an overall grading on the degree of compliance by combining the survey results of all 4 estates for each block type.

After summarizing the survey results of all block types of all concerned estates, the team members found out that block type of Harmony in SL2 Estate, which was built in 1990s, has minimum defects comparatively while the rest of them has some common defects in the aspect of accessible design, for example, substandard ramp at lobby entrance, large door threshold of the flat entrance, deficient signage for exit, no tactile strip at landings and at bottom and top end of staircase, no raised directional signs on handrails, insensitive detection device and no infra-

1199 red sensor, no audible signal and verbal annunciation for lift car, lack of indication system for lift and no visual alarm signal at prominent locations.

5.2 Summary of findings for communal facilities

Each of 4 selected estates has their own unique arrangement of transportation facilities, commercial complex, wet market, communal facilities and open areas between blocks. Different designs of each estate are due to local landforms, geographic locations, period of time and specific needs.

The overall comments on common defects existing in all 4 estates are shown below: • Substandard access ramps are found in some locations. Not all handrails have raised directional signs. Dropped kerbs are not sufficient. No tactile strip at head and foot of ramps is provided even if ramps are constructed. Same case happens to staircases in commercial complexes in terms of the standard of handrails and the provision of tactile strips. • Braille map and tactile guide path, for people with visual/hearing impairment, is missing. • Some corridors of commercial centers and wet markets are not wide enough to ensure sufficient room of movement or the finished floor is slippery. • The lifts, as a typical problem in all evaluated estates, were not upgraded to meet the BFA code in terms of the height of control button, the sensitivity of detection sensor and notification of both audible signal and verbal annunciation.

6. Recommendations

6.1 Criteria for prioritizing

Throughout the years, different departments of the Hong Kong Government have published a number of codes, standards and guidelines in order to create or promote a healthy and safe built environment for the local citizens. This study is based on the established document to set out the requirement/ criteria for assessing the accessibility of PWDs in the public housing estates. The assessment is based on the latest standards for the purpose of this checkwalk exercise; however, most of these documents are published in 1990s-2000s and therefore, many of the residential buildings including those of public housing estates built before their effective date may not be able to comply with the new requirements. In this way, the Research Team has to take into account of the constraints of those estates built earlier when making recommendations for rectification of the defects.

In addition, it is not absolutely clear whether the requirements for accessible design also apply to all external areas outside buildings, such as outdoor landscapes, pedestrian paths and areas between housing blocks. Since accessible design for outdoor areas and facilities are equally important and no standard particularly designed for the external areas can be found in the

1200 territory, the Research Team makes reference to BFA 1997 when assessing the accessible design of external areas.

Ideally, all items which do not fully comply with the current requirements set out in the checklist have to be rectified as soon as possible. However, it is not possible due to limited human and financial resources. Therefore, it is better to prioritize these items in the first instance in order to make the best use of the scarce resources. With the professional expertise, the Research Team prepares the priority list according to 2 major principles. First, with reference to the grade given to each item, the Research Team can consider a priority ranking for each item. Item with greater degree of non-compliance is given a higher priority. Second, the preliminary priority ranking is qualified with due considerations given to the following factors in the order of deserving higher priority treatment:

• Matter of urgency; • Ease of rectification; • Resources required; • Special circumstances of the estates, such as natural landforms, and • Promotion of good practice for future designs.

It should be noted that the priority assessment is based on the Research Team’s professional judgment with reference to the above qualitative criteria. The details of each priority classification are shown below:

Priority 1: Requirements that are urgently needed for improving the accessibility of PWDs.

Priority 2: Requirements that can greatly improve the accessibility of PWDs without demanding too many resources.

Priority 3: Requirements that can improve the accessibility of PWDs but may require heavy consumption of resources.

Priority 4: Recommended requirements that can provide good guidance for future designs

6.2 Recommended priorities for rectifying defects of domestic blocks

Table 1 and 2 present the recommendations made by the Research Team on the defect rectification for housing block types in order to improve the accessibility design for the PWDs.

Table 1: Recommended top priorities for defects rectification in all block types

Items Design Requirements

Dropped kerbs • Dropped kerbs: provide properly designed dropped kerbs at prominent locations

1201 Items Design Requirements

Ramps • Gradient: improve slopes to comply with BFA code • Handrails: provide properly designed handrails • Tactile strips: provide tactile strips to comply with BFA code

Steps & staircases • Handrails: provide properly designed handrails • Tactile strips: provide tactile strips at every change of level

Indicative provisions • Signage: provide clear signage to identify entrances, public toilet & parking spaces

• Provisions for people with visual impairment: provide Braille map or tactile guide path

• Intercom: Intercoms should be positioned ≤ 1.1m above finished floor level. Level landings in front of intercoms should be provided

Corridor & lobbies • Projections: reduce projections

Public toilet • Location: provide a clear space of 1.5m x 1.5m in front of the cubicle

• Size: provide disabled toilet of not less than 1.5m x 1.75m

• Design: provide properly design water fitment

Lift • Detection devices: provide detection devices or infra-red sensor to all existing passenger lifts

• Control buttons: (i) install indication light for emergency call; (ii) improve control panels to comply with BFA

• Notification: provide audible signal and verbal annunciation to all existing passenger lift

Fire services provisions • Fire alarms: provide visual alarm signal at prominent locations

• Exit sign: provide exit signs at prominent locations on each storey

Table 2: Recommended future improvement in all block types

Items Design Requirements

Level between corridors • Doors threshold: reduce level difference to 25mm or provide dropped kerbs and rooms

Steps & staircases • Nosing: use materials in contrast colour for nosing and steps

Corridors & lobbies • Dead end: provide an area not less than 1.5m x 1.5m for wheelchair users within 3.5m of dead end

1202 Items Design Requirements

• Colour: use finishes in contrast colour for floor and wall

6.3 Recommended priorities for rectifying defects of communal facilities

Another section of the research findings is a summary of the recommendations in response to major defects commonly found in the communal areas in 4 selected estates that need priority attention for rectification (Table 3 and 4).

Table 3: Recommended top priorities for defects rectification in communal spaces

Facilities Design Requirements

Commercial centre & • Defects similar to those found in Table 1 for domestic block in market terms of Dropped kerbs, Ramps, Steps & staircases, Indicative provisions, Corridor & lobbies, Public/Disabled toilet, Lift and Fire services provisions

Public transport • Access: provide direct access from public street/ pedestrian terminal & car park way • Drop kerbs: provide properly designed dropped kerbs at prominent locations • Ramps: provide properly designed ramps if there is a level change • Steps & staircases: (i) provide properly designed handrails; (ii) provide tactile strips especially in front of crossings of terminal or car parks • Signage: provide clear signage to identify terminal entrance, car park & locations of disabled car parking spaces • Disabled car park: at least 1 reserved for persons with disability at each parking level Leisure facilities • Ramps: provide properly designed ramps if there is a level change

• Signage: provide clear signage to major routes & common facilities signal at prominent locations

1203 Table 4: Recommended future improvement in all estates

Facilities Design Requirements Commercial centre & • Steps & staircases: use materials in contrast colour for nosing market and steps • Corridor & lobbies: use finishes in contrast colour for floor and wall Public transport • Disabled car park: (i) follow recommended size of 3.5m x terminal & car park 5.5m; (ii) provide emergency call bell at each disabled car park space

• Pedestrian crossing: incorporate ticking-device (audible and tactile) into existing crossing posts

6.4 Recommended Future Improvements

In this paper, priority lists are recommended for existing buildings because the Research Team takes into consideration practical needs, difficulties in rectifying existing works, and any special situation. There is no justification for future newly built public housing estates not to comply with the latest BFA code. In this paper, the Research Team also suggested lists of recommended items for future improvement in all estates. The assessment exercise will also provide feedback to the new development design team to refine or improve their design for new buildings. The recommendations in this paper should be taken up to review the existing standard designs for public housing, and to look for design solutions that could incorporate the recommendations in their future housing designs.

7. Conclusions

This study was a meaningful exercise to investigate the accessibility of PWDs in public housing estates that affected a large proportion of residents in Hong Kong. Assessing the accessibility of PWDs in the public housing estates is a good indicator showing the effectiveness of current controls over unobstructed access in Hong Kong. The Research Team acknowledged the fact that the majority of the estates selected were built before 1997 and this factor had been taken into account in the priority setting for rectification to be made in the recommendations. As this study was constrained by the resources available, the team members tended to limit this study to 4 selected estates representing housing stocks built in the 1970’s, the 1980’s and the 1990’s. In order to ensure that feasible recommendations were proposed, the Research Team had considered the assessment grading, the needs of the residents, technical difficulties, and resources to be consumed. The study was carried out with reasonable sampling for statistical analysis. Apart from relying on statistical data, the research also relies on qualitative assessments and objective site inspection based on the professional experience. The research confirms that those items in the top priority lists are basic need for disabled access and should be tackled as soon as possible. The 2006 new “Final Draft Design Manual” will incorporate

1204 more elements of Universal Design. As highlighted in this paper on the recommendations for future design improvement, the conditions of public housing are far from attaining the new ideal concept of Universal Design. These findings prompt the relevant government authority to undertake further pro-active investigation for improvement to achieve Universal Design.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Kwai Tsing District Council for its funding and supports, making this project a reality. This study is partially funded by research grant of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

References

[1] Buildings Department (1997) Design Manual Barrier Free Access 1997, Buildings Department, Hong Kong.

[2] Centre of Universal Design (2007) The principles of universal design, (available online http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/udprinciples.htm [Accessed on 10/2007].

[3] Goldsmith, S. (1997) Designing for the Disabled: The New Paradigm, Architectural Press, Oxford.

[4] Haber, G.M. and Blank, T.O. (Eds) (1992) Building Design for Handicapped and Aged Persons, McGraw-Hill, New York.

[5] Holm, Ivar (2006). Ideas and Beliefs in Architecture and Industrial Design: How Attitudes, Orientations, and Underlying Assumptions Shape the Built Environment, Oslo School of Architecture and Design.

[6] Holmes-Siedle, J. (1996) Barrier-free Design: A Manual for Building Designers and Managers, Butterworth Architecture, Oxford.

[7] Peloquin, A. A. (1994) Barrier-free Residential Design, McGraw-Hill, New York.

[8] Rehabaid Environmental Advisory Service (1983) Facilities for the Disabled in Housing Estates: A Guideline for Housing Estate Provision of Facilities for the Disabled, Rehabaid Environmental Advisory Service, Hong Kong.

[9] Steinfeld, E. and Danford, G. S. (Eds) (1999) Enabling environments: measuring the impact of environment on disability and rehabilitation, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York.

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