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Case Study- Barrier Free Design

A few months ago we were approached by a Royal Canadian Legion to help them convert their facility to allow for barrier free access. As with many older buildings of this type, they had only stairs to access the meeting hall in the basement and the restrooms were small.

They had already installed a ramp on the exterior to deal with the few stairs going into the building, but there was no way to open the door without help if someone had a wheelchair or needed to use a cane. The hallways were very narrow and the long stairway was an issue.

By removing the corridor wall and replacing it with a railing, we were able to save precious width in the hallway for easier wheelchair access and give the area much needed light. The stairway was too narrow for a stairway lift, which left us with a couple of options.

Lifts can be added onto the outside of the building as self enclosed structure or as an interior shaft. The interior shaft is a good option for buildings with the space on both floors. Cost for the lifts are surprisingly inexpensive, running $23-30,000 depending on the model.

Because we had a good area on both floors to accommodate a shaftway model, so our clients opted for that option. The lift only takes about 54-62 inches of width, depending on the model, but some buildings simply do not have the space or the usage is critical or too expensive to change.

With the new lift (seen here under construction), new restrooms on both floors, a barrier free access to the front door with electronic door opener and new wider hallways, the Canadian Legion as access for anyone attending their meeting , regardless of their ability to navigate stairs.

Many older building face similar issues with access and their owners, both public and private, are faced with either replacing the buildings or renovating them to accommodate the new standards. We would urge those owners to investigate the cost of renovating before making a decision. Often a beautiful older building can be saved and the effort is not as extensive as many people think.