Cecília Peixoto Carvalho (FEUP)

A. B. Magalhães (FEUP) | J. B. Pedro (LNEC) | L. de Sousa (ICBAS)

SIM 2013 : Sustainable Intelligent Manufacturing International Conference | Lisbon, FAUTL, 26 to 29 June 2013

DOOR’S DESIGN FOR PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS AND SERVICE DOGS

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Framework The problem

Doors are the boundary elements between two spaces - enabling or conditioning the passage.

A door can be an obstacle when it does not meet the needs of its users.

People with mobility impairments (PMI) are more likely to have difficulties using doors.

Service dog (SD) frequent function is to assist PMI operating doors.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Justification Importance and actuality

171,255 PMI in Portugal (INE 2001), almost 1,7% of the total population.

SD method for door operation (rope attached to door handle) cannot be applied in public spaces.

Portuguese accessibility standard focuses mainly on wheelchair users.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Objectives Research questions

What are the dimensional and functional requirements for the use of internal doors in public buildings by people with mobility impairments and service dogs?

What improvements regarding doors can be introduced in the Portuguese accessibility standard?

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Methodology Research design

1) Analysis of accessibility standards from Portugal, Australia, United Kingdom and United States of America.

2) Anthropometric studies of PMI (a total of 690 individuals).

3) Questionnaire in a Portuguese sample of persons with different mobility impairments.

4) Labrador standard (exclusive breed for SD in PT); interview with a SD educator and study on SD opening hinged doors using the rope’s method.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 1) Accessibility standards

PT, AU and US: door has to open at 90° and clear width can be interfered by door hardware

UK: door can open at different angles and no projection from door hardware can interfere with clear width

Measuring system for clear width

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 1) Accessibility standards

Handling:

All standards indicate door hardware shall allow door operation with a closed hand and should not require a strong prehension.

HARDWARE NOT ALLOWED

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 1) Accessibility standards

Lower-upper limits Minimum distance

mm

door hardware

pull handles

from door free edge

between devices

AU 900-1100 900-1200 60 50

UK 800-1050 700-1300* 54 72

US 865-1220 - - -

PT 800-1100 - 50 -

Hardware location:

*

*

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Wider doors are better for accessibility.

Reach height for wheeled mobility devices users:

380 mm lower limit is not safe and should be updated to 700 mm.

Results 2) Anthropometric studies

(Steinfeld et al. 1979, 2010)

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Grip precision inversely proportional to device contact area.

Many users have very limited or no grasping ability.

Whenever possible, design should promote solutions for device operation without the need for prehension.

Results 2) Anthropometric studies

(Steinfeld et al. 1979, 2010)

Lateral pinch* easier than thumb-indicator pinch**

** *

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 3) Questionnaire

41 respondents:

– Different types of mobility impairments. – Different ages. – Different assistive aids.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 3) Questionnaire

Many people have difficulties in reaching doors handles.

Almost half of the sample uses handles for body

support. Height for door hardware is not consensus:

– 44% prefer a lower handle – 25% a higher handle – 24% a "well located" – 7% few times lower and other higher

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 4) Labrador functioning

4 paws on the floor = stability

840 mm max. reach height (forced neck extension)

540 mm min. height at withers (standard)

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Results 4) Labrador functioning

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snout use (no biting)

hygiene better movements control

dog preference

no paws use for door operation

materials preservation

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Reach problems with door hardware

Lower limit height set by standards constitutes a reach problem for Labrador and several human users.

Other human users have needs for higher devices.

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mas

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Proposal

Portuguese accessibility standard

Lower limit for door hardware should be reduced from 800 mm to at least 700 mm. [Ideally to a full height solution]

Design requirements

Present as many different height options as possible (i.e. multi-point solutions).

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Prehension specifications

SD and many PMI (e.g. hand/arm mobility problems and

amputees) have little or no grasping habilities.

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Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Proposal

Portuguese accessibility standard

Regulating the minimum clearance space around door hardware will facilitate its handling [preferably to 72 mm].

Design requirements

Design solutions for door hardware that exonerate prehension needs could benefit more users.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Clear width measuring

Doors openings are constrained by clear width requirements.

Clear space should have

no type of interference.

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Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Conclusions Proposal

Portuguese accessibility standard

Adopt UK system for measuring doors clear width.

Design requirements

Doors and spaces should not be constrained to a specific opening angle as long as clear width is accomplished.

Door’s design for people with mobility impairments and service dogs

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Final considerations

SD, as an extreme user, have requirements for door design which can also benefit human users.

The suggestions to improve the Portuguese accessibility standard would enable more inclusive practices.

To increase reliability of the results, the study should proceed to more experimental stages.

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Thank you!

Cecília Peixoto Carvalho (Product design | FEUP)

António Barbedo Magalhães (Mechanical engeneering | FEUP)

João Branco Pedro (Architecture | LNEC)

Liliana de Sousa (Behavioral sciences | ICBAS)