Access with integrity: Improving visitor access to cultural and historic buildings

The principle behind compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), Part III of which came into force in October 2004, is that ‘reasonable adjustments’ should be made to the physical features of a building so that it also becomes accessible to people with disabilities. Public and listed buildings do have the added problem of reconciling the provision of dignified access for everyone with the preservation of a historical and architectural environment.

Whether able bodied or with disabilities, if visitors are to move freely, easily and safely throughout a building, one of the most important considerations are the doors. External doors, adjoining doors between rooms, those leading to corridors, or into toilets and lift areas, must all be negotiated easily – and the careful planning of fire doors and panic exits to the outside of the building is critical. Far too many traditional installations are a potential threat, particularly to the safety of children, elderly people and those with disabilities.

Comprehensive range

Dorma UK limited, one of the world’s leading suppliers of door technology systems and allied products, has an exceptional record in the provision of access and emergency egress solutions. The product range is extremely comprehensive and will meet practically any requirements, including as it does automatic sliding, swing, folding, and revolving variants. In addition, Dorma offers an enormous range of door furniture, glass systems and fittings and movable walls – all backed by a nationwide specialist Service Division.

A brief overview of which solutions best suit certain applications is always going to have its limitations, but broadly speaking, for heavy traffic situations typical of many venues in the cultural sector, automatic sliding doors provide a good solution – they are available as internal or external, single or bi-parting, telescopic or curved, with a wide choice of finishes. For new installation or retro-fitting to existing doors, automatic swing door operators are ideal and where space is at a premium, automatic folding doors come into their own, occupying the minimum of the door opening width and taking up little depth. Museum and gallery entrances will benefit from the use of revolving doors, which act as an airlock keeping out draughts, noise, dust and dirt.

However, some people with disabilities do not always have the confidence to use revolving doors and where they are installed it is always recommended that pass doors, preferably with a low energy swing door operator, are installed to complement them.

Hold-open door closers

Permanently closed fire doors, for instance in corridors, can present an obstacle for the elderly and people with disabilities, but electro-magnetic hold-open door closers can overcome this problem as they enable the door to be held-open at any angle between 75 and 180 degrees. Because the door is equipped with an electro magnetic device, should a smoke or fire alarm be activated, the electro-magnetic hold-open is released and the door will close safely, from whatever open angle it was at.

With door closers it is important that the resistance encountered when opening the door decreases almost instantly with the opening action. Dorma’s cam-action closer is cleverly designed so that the opening force falls away rapidly after the first few degrees resulting in little resistance throughout the opening cycle and the same happens on closing. This rapidly decreasing opening force is unique to the Dorma cam-action closer, says the company, and results in much easier and safer door operation for the elderly, children and particularly for people with physical disabilities.