Accessing the right solution

New buildings need to be accessible to everyone – no one disagrees with this, but what more can architects and property managers do to improve the access to their properties? Firstly, they have to educate. This is something that Fundacja Integracja [the Integration Foundation] knows full well, as it is the body that issues the ‘Buildings Without Barriers’ [‘Obiekt bez barier’] certificate in Poland and that assists investors, developers and design firms in applying the appropriate measures. “Five years ago, we worked with Fundacja Integracja to create universal construction standards, believing that they would be an inspiration to architects, designers and developers as well as lawmakers in Poland,” recalls Anna Marciniak, the HR and administration director for the CEE region of Skanska’s office division. “Our collaboration resulted in the ‘Switch’ advisory booklet, which outlines the problems that the disabled can encounter in their everyday lives and suggests how even by making only small changes, you can design a building that is friendly to all users,” she adds. Kamil Kowalski, the LAB director for the Fundacja Integracja, claims that the developers they work with (such as Skanska, Ghelamco and HB Reavis) are aware of the specific requirements of the disabled. “We are not just talking about the obvious features, such as entering from the ground level as well as adequately-designed lifts and parking facilities, but also solutions that are crucial for the visually-impaired, such as information in Braille, adequate colouration and warning signs, including audio induction loops and online sign language translation systems for the hard of hearing, parents with children, the elderly and children themselves,” he points out. Fundacja Integracja carries out research into the needs and expectations of the disabled, which it makes available through its publications and industry media. The foundation also holds classes in universal design, assesses buildings and issues its ‘Buildings Without Barriers’ certificates.

Hand-in-hand with the developer

“We work on existing buildings and also on projects at the design stage,” reveals Kamil Kowalski. “With the former, it’s a challenge to make the changes, but finding the right ways of doing this is really satisfying. At the design stage, we help the largest Polish and international developers as well as investors through the entire process. We see how their projects develop on paper and then in the end get built. It takes many years of work from the moment the first mark is put down on paper to the finished building coming into use, but we always walk away with the feeling that we have made a contribution to improved architecture,” he says with some pride. Ghelamco is one company to have developed buildings that have been awarded the ‘Building Without Barriers’ certificate. Jarosław Zagórski, the commercial and business development director at Ghelamco, points out that even though the company has no reason to complain about its work with the foundation, the certification was still a drawn-out and long-term process. Its experience with previous projects (such as The Warsaw Hub) meant that their work on their last one – The Warsaw Unit – could benefit from a range of innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of the disabled from as early as the initial planning stage. “Involving experts from Fundacja Integracja also gave us the certainty that we had considered everything, including measures that would have been impossible to introduce at a later stage of the development. All of this led to the completion of one of the most thought-through and up-to-date buildings in the capital city when it comes to accessibility,” he claims.

Not only Buildings Without Barriers, but also…

AIS is another certificate awarded to buildings that are accessible to everyone. This certification assesses a range of criteria that cover the physical, sensory and cognitive aspects of functional diversity, so that everyone regardless of their physical condition and abilities can move safely around a building with ease. Neinver was the first retail developer in Poland to be granted such certification for five of its centres, including its Factory outlet centres and its Futura retail parks. “For us, AIS certification is an important point of reference, which on the one hand allows us to objectively review our activities to improve conditions for the disabled, and on the other spurs us on to introducing other similar measures,” insists Maciej Zacharewicz, an international facility manager at Neinver. He also points out that all of the solutions that are introduced are discussed with a specialist AIS assessment firm. In this regard, the company is planning to introduce further solutions to its centres.

Toilets for everyone

Even though almost every toilet in new office buildings or shopping centres is now suitable for those in wheelchairs, usually they can only be used for the most basic hygiene requirements. Since last year the Integration Foundation has been promoting its accessibility toilets, or in Polish, ‘komfortki’, which are essentially rooms where people can change nappies or incontinence pads. “Around 150,000 people in Poland suffer from the lack of such accessibility toilets. Taking into account their needs with the desire to improve a situation that is an affront to people’s dignity, five non-governmental organisations banded together last year to form a coalition under the slogan ‘Put Nappies on Poland’ to campaign for accessibility toilets to be universally provided as standard. The coalition comprises the Poznań-based Żurawinka association for children and adults with childhood brain injuries, the Kraków-based Fundacja Mali Siłacze, the Gliwice-based Fundacja NieOdkładalni, the Lublin-based LFOON-SW association for the disabled, and the Warsaw-based Fundacja Integracja. We have proposed changes to the building code, which would mean that all new buildings would be required to have accessibility toilets,” explains Kamil Kowalski. The aims to persuade the government and local authorities to ensure that such amenities are always provided, as well as the property owners and managers of the various types of real estate, especially buildings that are visited by thousands of people. “The main problem is finding a suitably large space of at least 12 sqm connected to the sewage system, and then retrofitting it. After nine months of the coalition’s activities, we are seeing the first results of our work. Many landlords have declared that they are going to provide accessibility toilets,” he says. The foundation is also encouraging those who are undergoing ‘Buildings Without Barriers’ certification to provide such facilities.

Out in the wider world…

According to Kamil Kowalski, it is the UK that is spearheading these changes. “In that country, it is a legal obligation to provide what they call ‘changing places toilets’. The first social movement to promote this idea was established in 2007 and, as a result, today there are almost 1,700 such toilets in the UK and their number continues to grow. Accessibility toilets are also common in Japan, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and the US. Each of these countries has taken a slightly different approach to the issue. For example, in New Zealand access is granted with a special key and it’s obligatory to install a hoist. In Japan, they didn’t install hoist, but instead went for foldable loungers, which are also easier to use by people with less physical strength. We hope that we will have soon have such standards in Poland when it comes to hoists and fittings, and that in a few years we will have the same success as has been seen in the UK,” says Kamil Kowalski.

Comfort and peace of mind

It would be no exaggeration to say that accessibility toilets are an asset to every building and can be installed by every building owner without any huge investment. But above all, the toilets should be accessible to all. “According to our surveys and feedback from our readers, the best places to set up such facilities are shopping centres and other such public areas that are open seven days a week. The list also includes petrol stations, sports facilities and multiplexes,” explains Kamil Kowalski. The basic requirement is an area of 3 x 4m. An additional requirement is to have a lounger that’s big and strong enough for an adult (a minimum of 180 x 70 cm with a load capacity of 150 kg). A hoist is important, whether it’s fitted to the ceiling or is movable so that an assistant or carer can easily move the disabled person from their wheelchair onto the equipment provided. ‘Assistance toilets’ could also be provided, that include showers with seating and handlebars. “It’s important that the height of the equipment can be adjusted. Ideally, the equipment should be controlled electronically via a control pad. Then you can set the height of the toilet seat for an individual person. Technological developments have led to there being many different systems and fittings on the market designed to make life easier in this regard. Many are now commonly used in homes for the elderly and private apartments, but they are still a rarity in public places,” admits Kamil Kowalski.