BATAS PAMBANSA BLG.

344 Handrails
Accessibility Law • Handrails should be installed at both sides of
ramps and stairs and the outer edges of
A. Outside and Around dropped curbs at crossings.
Buildings • Shall be installed at 900mm and 700mm
above steps or ramps (Height at 1 or 1.06
Dropped Curbs meters if for protection at great heights).
• Dropped curbs should be provided at • A 300mm long extension of handrail should
walkways with elevation changes. be provided at the start and end of ramps and
• Should be provided at the pedestrian stairs
crossings and the end of footpaths. • Hand grips should be 30 to 50mm wide.
• Should be as wide as the crossing or should • If attached to walls or ledges it should have a
be 900mm wide at minimum. minimum clearance of 50mm from the wall or
• Shall be ramped towards adjoining curbs 40mm from the ledge.
with a gradient not more than 1:12.
• Shall be sloped towards the road with a Open Spaces
maximum cross gradient of 1:20. • Where open spaces are provided, give
• The lowest point of the curb should not walkways defined edges either by the use of
exceed 25mm height above the road/gutter. planters with dwarf walls, grass verges, or
similar which provides a texture different
Curb Cut-outs from the path. This helps the blind to
• Curb cut-outs should only be allowed when determine the pathway.
they will not obstruct or lessen the width of a
walkway. Signage
• Minimum width should be 900mm. • Directional and informational signs should be
• Should have a gradient not more than 1:12. located at points conveniently seen even by
a person in a wheelchair.
Walkways • Should be kept simple and easy to
• Walkways should be kept as level as understand, and should be made of
possible and provided with slip-resistant contrasting colors and gray values to make
material. detection and reading easy.
• Minimum width is 1200mm. • Should a sign protrude into a walkway, it
• Should have a gradient no more than 1:20 or should have a min. headroom of 2 meters.
5% (1:100 max cross gradient). • On walls and doors, it should be located at
• Should not have abrupt pitches in angle or max. height of 1.60 meters and a min. height
interruptions by cracks that create edges of 1.40 meters.
above 6.5mm. • Labeling public areas should have
• Grating openings at walkways should have a embossed symbols with min. height of 1mm
max dimension of 13x13mm and shall not (Braille should also be included).
project more than 6.5mm. • Text on signboards shall be of dimension that
• stops or turning spaces with a minimum people with less than normal visual acuity
dimension of 1500mm should be provided can read at a certain distance.
(maximum distance of 12 meters between
stops).
• Straight-forward routes with right-angle turns
should be observed for the blind.
• Regular maintenance of the plantings
adjacent to the walkway is needed to avoid
overgrowth and obstruction.
• Walkway headroom shall not be less than 2
meters.
• The passageway for the disabled should not
be obstructed by furniture, bollards, etc.
Crossings • Provide 1.2m clear width with 1:12 max
• To reduce the exposure time to vehicular gradient.
traffic, all at grade crossing should: • The length of the ramp should not exceed 6
- Be perpendicular to the meters if the gradient is 1:12.
carriageway • Ramps exceeding 6 meters whose gradient
- Be located at the narrowest part is 1:12 shall be provided with landings not
of the road less than 1.5m.
- Have central refuges of at least • Level areas not less than 1.8m should be
1.5 m deep and preferably 2 m, provided at the top and bottom.
where the width of the road to be • Handrails will be provided on both sides at
crossed exceeds 10 m. 700mm and 900mm from the ramp level.
• The vicinity of crossings as an aid to the • Shall be equipped with curbs on both sides
blind, should be high enough to be felt but with a minimum height of 100mm
low enough to not cause tripping. • A ramp with a rise greater than 200mm and
• Brushed or grooved concrete has not proved leads down towards a vehicular area, should
successful as tactile strips. have a railing across the full width of its lower
• Light-controlled crossings and audible end not less than 1.5m from the foot of the
signals are best for the disabled. ramp.
• Audible signals should be distinguishable
like in indicating the end of crossing time. Doors
• A min. of 6 seconds crossing period or • 800mm minimum clear width for doors
crossing distance times 0.9 m/sec crossing (measured between the surface of the fully
speed, whichever is greater should be used. open door at the hinge and the door jamb at
the stop).
B. Parking • Should be operable by force not more than 4
kg (closing device pressure shall not exceed
Parking Areas 1 kg).
• Accessible parking slots should have a • Minimum clear level space of 1.5x1.5m shall
minimum width of 3.70m. be provided before and extending beyond a
• Should be as close as possible to the door (Exception: Where a door shall open
building or accessible entrances and should onto but not into a corridor, the required clear
be perpendicular or at an angle to the road or level space on the corridor side of the door
circulation areas. may be a minimum of 1.2m corridor width.
• Walkways from accessible spaces of 1.2 m • Out swinging doors should be provided at the
clear width shall be provided between the storage room, closets, and PWD toilet stall
front ends of parked cars. • Latching or non-latching, hardware should
• Signs or markings for the handicapped not require wrist or fine-finger actions.
parking should be provided. • Doorknobs and other hardware should be
• Should never be located in sloping areas. located between 0.82m and 1.06m above the
floor (900mm is preferred).
• Vertical pull handles centered at 1.06m
C. Inside Buildings and Structures above the floor are preferred to horizontal
pull bars for all doors
Entrance • Doors along major circulation routes should
• At least 1 entrance to every building should be provided with kick plates at a height of
be accessible from arrival and departure 300mm to 400mm.
points to the interior lobby (1 entrance should
have elevator access). Thresholds
• Entrance with vestibules shall be provided a • Thresholds and sliding door tracks shall have
level area with at least 1.8m depth and a a maximum height of 25mm and preferably
1.5m width. ramped.

Ramps Switches
• Change in elevation requires a ramp except • Manual switches shall be positioned within
when served by a dropped curb, an elevator 1.2m to 1.3m above the floor
or other mechanical device
 • Manual switches shall be located at no Stairs
further than 200mm from the latch side of the • Treads should be of slip-resistant material
door and edges of steps should be colored to be
easily seen
Corridors • Slanted nosing is preferred over protruding
• 1.2-meter minimum clear width for corridors nosing to avoid feet getting caught in the
(Shall have no obstruction). recessed areas (Open stringer should be
• Turnabout spaces with a minimum area of avoided)
1.5x1.5 m and spaced at a maximum of 12 m • A 300m wide tactile strip shall be provided
shall be provided for wheelchair passes and before hazardous areas such as sudden
turning around of wheelchairs. changes in elevation and at the top and
• Turnabout spaces should also be provided at bottom of stairs
or within 3.5m of every dead-end.
• As in walkways, corridors should be Elevators
maintained level and provided with slip- • Accessible elevators should be located not
resistant surfaces. more than 30 meters from the entrance.
• Shall have a minimum dimension of 1.1 x 1.4
Washrooms & Toilets meters
• 1.7 x 1.8 meters minimum dimension for • The centerline height of the topmost buttons
accessible toilets shall be between 0.9-1.2 m from the floor
• 1 movable grab bar and 1 fixed to the Button sizes shall have a minimum diameter
adjacent wall shall be installed at the of 20mm with a maximum depression depth
accessible water closet stall for lateral of 1mm.
mounting, fixed grab bars on both sides for
frontal mounting Water Fountains
• A turning space of 2.25 sqm with a min. • At least 1 fountain shall be provided for every
dimension of 1.5m for wheelchairs shall be 2000 sqm of floor area and there shall not be
provided outside water closet stalls. less than 1 on each floor.
• Minimum of 1 accessible water closet on • If wall mounted, the max height shall be
each floor level (or on that part of a floor 850mm from the floor to the rim and shall be
accessible to the PWD) where the total push-button controlled.
number of water closets per sex is 20.
• Minimum of 2 accessible water closets on Public Telephones
each floor level (or on that part of a floor • Provide an unobstructed space of 1.5 x 1.5m
accessible to the PWD) where the total in front of the telephone unit.
number of water closets per sex exceeds 20 • Booth door openings should have a minimum
• The max height of the water closet should be clear width of 800mm with either out swing,
450mm, flush control should have a max folding, or sliding door.
height of 1.2m Maximum height of lavatories • Controls shall be located at a maximum
should be 800mm with a knee recess of 600- height of 1.1m above the floor.
700mm vertical clearance and a 500mm
depth D. Safety
• Urinals should have elongated lips or should
be trough-type, the maximum height of the lip Fencing For Road & Foot Works
should be 480mm. • All excavations must be protected or fenced-
• The signage of the men’s washroom shall be in, whatever type of fence is used, it is
an equilateral triangle with a vertex pointing important that the railing should incorporate
upward (length of sides should be 300mm). the following features:
• The signage of the women’s washroom shall - The height of the rail should be at
be a circle (diameter should be 300mm). least 1 m above the adjacent
• Signage should at least be 7.5mm thick. surface.
- The railing should incorporate
tapping rails that should not be
greater than 350mm above the
adjacent surface.
- The fence should be strong
enough to resist people walking
into it and gaps between
adjoining fences should not
occur.