Events – Universal Design Principles
Ensure that all events held by Curtin University or external events managers, both internal and external are accessible to all people. Strategies and procedures for planning events are to include the participation of planners, contractors and external event managers to ensure that any potential barriers to Universal Design are identified and rectified in the early stages of planning.
Design Criteria
Within the Curtin context all events should:
- Include facilities for people of all abilities as an integral component. It is not appropriate to have separate or ‘special’ facilities for people with disabilities, i.e. ticketing, entrances, restricted or separate viewing or seating arrangements or policies for people with disabilities.
- Implement non-restrictive booking systems ensuring access by people with hearing, vision and cognitive impairments.
- Provide an accessible path of travel into and throughout any indoor or outdoor event venue. All paths to be kept clear of clutter including temporary barriers, rubbish bins, power leads and advertising materials.
- Limit the use of rope or chain barriers.
- Provide access to any stage via a temporary ramp and stairs. Ensure that stairs or ramp are fully furnished with handrails and luminance contrast on nosings compliant with AS1428.1. Ensure any temporary ramp does not exceed maximum allowable grades as per AS1428.1 requirements for a pedestrian ramp (1:14) or step ramp (1:10). This may result in limitations to the height of any proposed stage.
- Provide adequate wheelchair approach and turning space on the stage.
- Design in adequate lighting at stage access points to assist all people, including performers and people who rely on lip reading or Auslan to gain information.
- Where appropriate, provide accessible signage through the site to assist with wayfinding.
- Ensure that temporary sanitary facilities are as accessible as permanent facilities, regardless of their location.
- Design any gate access to be accessible to all people, including people using wheeled mobility aids.
- Have any accessible entrance that is adjacent other entrances identified with the International Symbol of Access.
- Design so that any information areas and payment points are located within ‘quiet zones’.
- Install signage and labelling of displays that meets the signage requirements.
Construction management- Universal Design Principles
All construction management works or processes, on new or existing buildings are to ensure retention of a safe, clear and accessible path of travel for all pedestrians. Temporary barriers are not to be positioned so that they create a barrier or safety risk for any pedestrian requiring footpath access.
Design Criteria
The process of construction work including maintenance and repairs or new building work can pose a significant risk to all pedestrians where:
- Damaged paths or service lids or works are not securely barricaded to prevent unintentional contact with the disrupted pathway, building materials or building / maintenance work.
- Any barricade, scaffold or the like cannot be tactually detected by a person with low vision or a person or who is blind, resulting in a potential trip, fall or head height contact.
- The erected scaffolding, barricade or hoarding significantly encroaches on the pathway width preventing access for wheelchair and scooter users. Or an existing, safe shoreline is disrupted or removed.
- An alternative accessible and traversable path of travel is not provided around or as an alternative to any new building work, unsafe protrusion, or pathway undergoing repair.
- Within the Curtin context all construction management should:
- Install hoardings around significant construction works (in preference to placing scaffolding on or adjacent an accessible path of travel).
- Retain a minimum 1200mm, ideally 1800mm, accessible, traversable, safe pedestrian route. Protruding elements should be avoided where possible, these should be barricaded to maintain the integrity of a safe path of travel.
- Provide an alternative accessible path of travel where a safe clear, traversable route cannot be retained. This will include the provision of kerb ramp access to alternative raised pathways if necessary.
- Provide structures that are rigid and are able to visually and tactually detect. Install a solid crossbar / rail at the base of the barrier 100-300mm high so that it is detectable by a long cane.
- Provide footings/ stabilisers at the base of barricades that are parallel to the accessible path of travel as this will minimise any tripping hazard.