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Wheelchair accessibility  

ACCESS INTO BUILDINGS OTHER 

THAN DWELLINGS 

Objectives 

1 The aim for all new buildings is  

for the principal entrance or entrances 

and any main staff entrance, and any 

lobbies, to be accessible. 

2 Where it is not possible, e.g. in an 

existing building, for the principal or 

main staff entrance or entrances to be 

accessible, an alternative accessible 

entrance should be provided. 

3 It is important to reduce the risks 

to people when entering the building. 

Accessible entrances 

Design considerations 

4 Steeply sloping or restricted sites 

sometimes make it impossible for the 

principal or main staff entrance to be 

accessible, in which case an alternative 

accessible entrance may be necessary. 

5 Accessible entrances should be 

clearly sign-posted and easily 

recognisable. Any structural elements, 

for example supports for a canopy, are 

useful in identifying the entrance, but 

should not present a hazard. 

6 The route from the exterior across 

the threshold should provide weather 

protection, and not present a barrier for 

wheelchair users or a trip hazard for 

other people. A level threshold is 

preferred, especially for doors in 

frequent use. 

Note: Guidance on sign-posting is 

given in BS 8300, ‘Inclusive Mobility’ 

and the ‘Sign Design Guide’. 

Provisions 

7 Accessible entrances will satisfy 

Requirement M1 or M2 if: 

a. they are clearly sign-posted, 

incorporating the International Symbol 

of Access, from the edge of the site, 

and from the principal entrance (if this 

is not accessible); 

b. they are easily identified among 

the other elements of the building and 

the immediate environment, e.g. by 

lighting and/or visual contrast; 

c. any structural supports at the 

entrance do not present a hazard for 

visually impaired people; 

d. there is a level landing at least 

1500 x 1500mm, clear of any door 

swings, immediately in front of the 

entrance and of a material that does 

not impede the movement of 

wheelchairs; 

e. the threshold is level or, if a raised 

threshold is unavoidable, it has a total 

height of not more than 15mm, a 

minimum number of upstands and 

slopes, with any upstands higher than 

5mm chamfered or rounded; 

f. any door entry systems are 

accessible to deaf and hard of hearing 

people, and people who cannot speak; 

g. weather protection is provided at 

manual non-powered entrance doors; 

h. internal floor surfaces adjacent to 

the threshold are of materials that do 

not impede the movement of 

wheelchairs, e.g. not coir matting, and 

changes in floor materials do not create 

a potential trip hazard; 

i. where mat wells are provided, the 

surface of the mat is level with the 

surface of the adjacent floor finish; 

j. where provided as an alternative 

accessible entrance, an accessible 

internal route is provided to the spaces 

served by the principal or main staff 

entrances. 

Doors to accessible entrances 

Design considerations 

8 Doors to the principal, or 

alternative accessible, entrance should 

be accessible to all, particularly 

wheelchair users and people with 

limited physical dexterity. Entrance 

doors may be manually operated 

without powered assistance, or poweroperated 

under manual or automatic 

control. Entrance doors should be 

capable of being held closed when not 

in use. 

2.9 A non-powered manually operated 

entrance door, fitted with a self-closing 

device capable of closing the door 

against wind forces and the resistance 

of draught seals, is unlikely to be 

openable by many people, particularly 

those who are wheelchair users or who 

have limited strength. 

2.10 A powered door opening and 

closing system, either manually 

controlled or automatically operated by 

sensors, is the most satisfactory 

solution for most people. An automatic 

sliding door arrangement is particularly 

beneficial as it avoids the risks 

associated with automatic swing doors 

and its use can make it possible to 

reduce the length of any entrance 

lobby. 

2.11 Once open, all doors to 

accessible entrances should be wide 

enough to allow unrestricted passage 

for a variety of users, including 

wheelchair users, people carrying 

luggage, people with assistance dogs, 

and parents with pushchairs and small 

children. It should be noted that double 

buggies are wider than wheelchairs and 

that, where relevant to the building 

type, this should be borne in mind 

when determining an appropriate 

effective clear width for an entrance 

door. There may be circumstances in 

existing buildings where it is not 

practicable or cost-effective to adopt 

the preferred effective clear widths for 

new buildings. In such cases, the 

argument for adopting the minimum 

dimensions for existing buildings 

should be made in the Access 

Statement. 

2.12 People should be able to see 

other people approaching from the 

opposite direction, thereby allowing 

sufficient reaction time for both parties 

to avoid a collision. Any exceptions for 

reasons of privacy or security should 

be argued in the Access Statement. 

Provisions 

2.13 Doors to accessible entrances will 

satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if: 

a. where required to be self-closing, 

a power operated door opening and 

closing system is used when through 

calculation and experience it appears 

that it will not be possible otherwise for 

a person to open the door using a 

force no greater than 20N at the 

leading edge; 

b. the effective clear width through a 

single leaf door, or one leaf of a double 

leaf door, is in accordance with Table 2, 

and the rules for measurement are in 

accordance with Diagram 9; 

c. unless it can be argued otherwise 

in the Access Statement, e.g. for 

reasons of security, door leaves, and 

side panels wider than 450mm, have 

vision panels towards the leading edge 

of the door whose vertical dimensions 

include at least the minimum zone, or 

zones, of visibility between 500mm and 

1500mm from the floor, if necessary 

interrupted between 800mm and 

1150mm above the floor, e.g. to 

accommodate an intermediate 

horizontal rail . 

Acces for All

Help in sourcing products for:

Access for all
Accessible for all
Accessibility compliant
Blind accessibility
Disability accessibility
Shop Store Accessibility
Public Accessibility
Wheelchair accessibility

5% of income generated from Access 4 all is donated to Multiple Sclerosis