Lifetime Homes
Criterion 5
Communal stairs and lifts
What is required?
Communal stairs should not be steep (called ‘easy-going’) and have handrails at appropriate heights and extending beyond the top and bottom step. If a lift is provided, its controls should be reachable by everyone and its internal floor area should be no smaller than 1100mm x 1400mm.
Why is this important?
Some people, including some ambulant disabled people, that could not manage a stair with a normal pitch, can manage an easy going stair. Extending the handrails increases safety for those less steady, and helps people with sight loss identify the beginning and end of the stairs.
This floor area for a lift enables a wheelchair user to travel in the lift with another person. This ‘other person’ may be a carer, or possibly a parent with a disabled child. It makes sense that all potential lift users should be able to reach the controls.