Shop and Store Accessibility.

On-site car parking and setting down 

Design considerations 

1.1 People who need to travel to buildings by car need to be able to park, sufficient space to enter and leave their vehicle, on occasions move to the rear of their vehicle, then walk, travel in a wheelchair or with pushchairs or luggage etc. to the principal entrance, the staff entrance, or any alternative accessible entrance, of the building.

1.2 The surface of a parking bay designated for disabled people, in particular the area surrounding the bay, should allow the safe transfer of a passenger or driver to a wheelchair and transfer from the parking bay to the access route to the building without undue effort, barriers to wheelchairs or hazards from tripping.  

1.3 If people need to obtain tickets for pay and display parking, the ticket dispensing machines should be located in a way that allows a person in a wheelchair, or a person of short stature, to gain access close to the machine and reach the payment and ticket dispensing functions. 

1.4 People with mobility impairments who arrive as passengers should be able to alight from a vehicle close to the principal entrance, or alternative accessible entrance, of the building in a way that is convenient for entry into the building. 

Note: Guidance is available in BS 8300 on: – the provision of parking bays designated for disabled people in different building types; – ticket dispensing machines; – vehicular control barriers; and – multi-storey car parks.  

Provisions 

1.5 Car parking and setting down will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if: 

a. at least one parking bay designated for disabled people is provided on firm and level ground as close as feasible to the principal entrance of the building; b. the surface of the accessibility zone is firm, durable and slip resistant, with undulations not exceeding 3mm under a 1m straight edge for formless materials. Inappropriate materials might be loose sand or gravel; c. ticket machines, where necessary for wheelchair users and people of short stature, are adjacent to the designated parking bays for disabled people and have controls between 750mm and 1200mm above the ground and a plinth which does not project in front of the face of the machine in a way that prevents its convenient use; e. a clearly sign-posted setting down point is located on firm and level ground as close as practicable to the principal or alternative accessible entrance with its surface level with the carriageway at that point to allow convenient access to and from the entrance for people with walking difficulties or people using a wheelchair.  

Ramped access 

Note: Where there appears to be a conflict between the guidance in Part 

M and Part K, Part M takes precedence; see the Notes to the Requirements. 

Design considerations 

1.6 If site constraints necessitate an approach of 1 in 20 or steeper, an 

approach incorporating ramped access should be provided. Ramps are 

beneficial for wheelchair users and people pushing prams, pushchairs and bicycles.  

1.7 Gradients should be as shallow as practicable, as steep gradients create difficulties for some wheelchair users who lack the strength to propel themselves up a slope or have difficulty in slowing down or stopping when descending.  

1.8 Ramps are also not necessarily safe and convenient for ambulant 

disabled people. For example, some people who can walk but have 

restricted mobility find it more difficult to negotiate a ramp than a stair. In 

addition, adverse weather conditions increase the risk of slipping on a ramp. It is therefore beneficial to have steps as well as a ramp.  

1.9 Some people need to be able to stop frequently; for instance to regain strength or breath, or to ease pain.  

1.10 Wheelchair users need adequate space to stop on landings, to open and pass through doors without having to reverse into circulation routes or to face the risk of rolling back down slopes.  

1.11 Some people have a weakness on one side. This leads to a requirement for support at both sides of ramps. 

1.12 If the total rise of a ramped approach is too high, it can be unacceptably tiring for wheelchair users and some people with walking 

difficulties, even if a number of rest landings are provided. 

Note: Guidance is given in BS 8300 on: – lighting ramped access. 

Provisions 

1.13 A ramped access will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if: a. it is either readily apparent or the approach to it is clearly sign-posted; b. the gradient of a ramp flight and its going between landings; c. no flight has a going greater than 10m, or a rise of more than 500mm; d. there is an alternative means of access for wheelchair users, e.g. a lift, when the total rise is greater than 2m; e. it has a surface width between walls, upstands or kerbs of at least 1.5m; f. the ramp surface is slip resistant, especially when wet, and of a colour that contrasts visually with that of the landings; g. the frictional characteristics of the ramp and landing surfaces are similar; h. there is a landing at the foot and head of the ramp at least 1.2m long and clear of any door swings or other obstructions; i. any intermediate landings are at least 1.5m long and clear of any door swings or other obstructions; j. intermediate landings at least 1800mm wide and 1800mm long are provided as passing places when it is not possible for a wheelchair user to see from one end of the ramp to the other or the ramp has three flights or more; k. all landings are level, subject to a maximum gradient of 1:60 along their length and a maximum cross fall gradient of 1:40; l. there is a handrail on both sides; m. there is a kerb on the open side of any ramp or landing at least 100mm high, which contrasts visually with the ramp or landing in addition to any guarding required under Part K; n. clearly sign-posted steps are provided, in addition, when the rise of the ramp is greater than 300mm (equivalent to 2 x 150mm steps). 

Stepped access  

Note: Where there appears to be a conflict between the guidance in Part 

M and Part K, Part M takes precedence; see the Notes to the Requirements. 

Part 2 Design considerations

Acces for All

Help in sourcing products for:

Access for all
Accessible for all
Accessibility compliant
Blind accessibility
Disability accessibility
Shop Store Accessibility
Public Accessibility
Wheelchair accessibility

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