FUNCTIONAL INTERIORS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS 4(2+2)

Lesson 9: Housing Environments for Special purposes and Needs: Barrier Free

Shopping Area

It is not enough to design a barrier free building for the handicapped and elderly, one must also provide barrier free streets and shopping areas within the immediate vicinity if the residents are to as self sufficient as they would like an could be.

There should not be any major crossing between the apartment block and shopping area. If unavoidable, some form of safe crossing, such as bridge r subway accessible by ramp and steps over or below the highway should be planned which people could get from one side of the road to the other. The shops should be accessible with all essential barrier free design elements such as ramped approach along with stepped approach, adequate space for landing, sufficiently wide corridor, signages, sliding or automatic door, guiding warning block, accessible counter, telephone booth, mail box, and toilet facilities.