Vertical Accessibility For Wheelchair Users At Historic Buildings

Abstract

Disability (equality) Acts call to provide disabled people accessibility to all buildings. Historic buildings are special types of existing buildings, and these Acts are applied to them. However, Acts and principles of architectural conservation call for minimum change in historic buildings, but minimum change can often not be possible for providing accessibility into or within historic buildings for persons with disability. This paper aims to review the solutions that were applied for providing vertical accessibility into and within historic buildings for wheelchair users from an architectural conservation point of view. The research methodology depended on a literature review. The results of the study demonstrated that the main difficulties are in applying preservation and restoration approaches, whereas the rehabilitation approach is more flexible regarding providing accessibility. Furthermore, the reconstruction approach has some special situations. It is a new construction legally; this means in the re-construction operation of non-exiting historic buildings, the codes of new buildings regarding accessibility should be applied. In general, providing accessibility will contribute to achieving equality for disabled people, transporting furniture to upper floors, and increasing visitors to historic buildings, including elderly people and families with baby prams who will benefit from physical access. The importance of research resides in accessibility in heritage is a new under-research subject. Careful examination of historic buildings' conservation approaches and beneficial accessibility solutions gives lessons learned for intervention and contributes to developing a code of practice for architectural heritage accessibility.

Keywords

• wheelchair users; historic buildings; conservation approaches; accessibility