1 There is a growing recognition of the difficulties faced by elderly and disabled
persons in participating in the social and economic life and of the need to
alleviate these difficulties. The integration of elderly and disabled persons with
the other passengers requires special consideration when designing a new passenger
ship. Passenger ships such as ro-ro ferries and cruise ships are very different in
their design construction, ports of call, passenger profile, and operation mode and
should be considered separately. The following contains recommendations on the
design and operation of a new passenger ship with the emphasis on passenger ferries
which are part of the public transport system.
GENERAL INFORMATION BEFORE BOARDING THE SHIP
2 General information about the services and assistance available to elderly and
disabled persons on a particular route should be made known to the general public
and potential passengers, and should be made available in formats suitable for
people with impaired sight, for example, large print and audio tape.
ACCESS TO THE TERMINAL
3 When a passenger ship terminal is established, the needs of elderly and disabled
passengers, including those who use wheelchairs, include:
- .1 to ensure to the extent possible the availability of public transport for
elderly and disabled people at prices comparable to those paid by other members
of the travelling public;
- .2 to facilitate to the extent possible the use of taxi services and private
transport for this category of passengers;
- .3 to ensure barrier-free movement between entrances and exits of the terminal
building, preferably without change of levels;
- .4 to ensure full access to all public areas such as duty-free shops, toilets,
restaurants and other shops. Toilet facilities should also be available to
wheelchair users accompanied by an attendant of either sex;
- .5 to ensure that the design of the toilets and drinking water fountains,
telephones and elevator control panels are adapted to the needs of the mobility
impaired as well as sensory impaired passengers;
- .6 to make available reserved seating areas for elderly and disabled people,
including space for wheelchairs; seating should be of appropriate height with
armrests to assist passengers with disabilities;
- .7 to provide specially marked parking spaces on the car decks of ro-ro ferries
with unobstructed access to elevators for disabled passengers;
- .8 to ensure that all visual instructions (i.e. safety information) be
displayed in as large and clear a form as possible for the hearing impaired and
those with a degree of sight impairment and whenever necessary, spoken
announcements, preceded by a tone to attract attention, should be provided for
blind people and those with a high degree of sight impairment;
- .9 to ensure that appropriate means exist to communicate safety- and
transport-related information to the hearing-impaired which may not otherwise be
made known to them;
- .10 to improve communications to sensory impaired people by designating special
areas where all required aids and interpretation facilities might be centralized
and where possible provide a loop in the audible communications system for
linking to hearing aids; and
- .11 to provide shipping company staff, port, immigration and customs personnel
with suitable training and standardized information and instruction on how to
assist disabled passengers.
ACCESS TO THE SHIP
4 The ship should be constructed and equipped in such a way that wheelchair users and
other disabled persons can embark and disembark easily and safely, either unassisted
or by means of ramps, elevators or lifts. The maximum slope of ramps for wheelchairs
should be 1:20. There should be at least one access to the ship which is suitable
for disabled persons and wheelchair users. The access should be without stairs and
steps and be marked with the international symbol for installations, etc., suitable
for disabled persons. Directions to this access should be posted at the other
accesses to the ship and at other appropriate locations throughout the ship.
MARSHALLING OF CARS
5 For car ferries, cars with disabled drivers or passengers should be
given a special marking at the gate ashore and be directed to a separate marshalling
lane, before driving on board the ship. The gate attendant should have means to
communicate with the person in charge of the marshalling area and the personnel on
board the ship. There should be no kerb (differences in levels) in the marshalling
lanes which could prevent a disabled person from getting out of a waiting car. The
ship's crew should guide disabled passengers to a special parking space on board and
give the necessary assistance, including taking any wheelchair out of the car. At
the ship's destination the crew should also assist.
CAR PARKING ON BOARD
6 Special parking spaces from which it is possible for a wheelchair user to exit from
the car should be available on board car ferries. The number of spaces may be
variable as required. The parking spaces may also be used by disabled persons who
are not wheelchair users. There should be barrier-free passage for wheelchair users
from the parking spaces to passenger facilities.
ELEVATORS
7 At least one elevator should lead from the car deck to a deck with barrier-free
access to public spaces, cabins and toilets. The elevator floor should be at least
110 cm wide and 140 cm deep. The elevator should have automatic doors with a free
door opening of at least 90 cm. A handrail 90-100 cm above floor level should be
provided on three sides. Controls should be placed approximately 90-120 cm above the
floor, at least 50 cm from the corner, and a handhold should be placed near the
controls. A foldable seat should be available in a position from which the controls
can be reached. The elevator floor should be level with the deck outside. The area
in front of the elevator shall be level and at least 150 x 150 cm. Escalators cannot
replace elevators.
8 Push buttons on the control panel should be at least 2 cm in diameter and have
built in lighting. They should not be designed as flush, easy-touch buttons. The
colour of the push buttons must be sharply contrasting the colour of the panel. Push
buttons for emergency stop and alarm signal should have a form distinctively
diverging from the ordinary push buttons of the elevator. The colour of the
emergency stop should be red and the colour of the alarm signal should be yellow.
The push buttons should be marked with large relief letters.
ACCOMMODATION
9 Door openings to public spaces should be wide enough for wheelchairs to pass
unimpeded with a free opening of at least 80 cm. Doors should be automatic or kept
in open position where this does not interfere with safety requirements.
Obstructions caused by coamings, etc., should be avoided in passenger spaces and
eliminated elsewhere, for instance by means of ramps or retractable coamings.
However, coamings required by the Load Line Convention or any other safety
requirements must not be removed. Ramps and coamings should be marked in contrasting
colours.
10 Stairways should be constructed in order to facilitate the climb for elderly and
disabled persons. Stairways should not be steep and should be of a design with
closed steps. Steps should give optimum safety with regard to height, depth, colour,
lighting and risk of slipping. Out of consideration for elderly and persons with
reduced vision, the front edge of each step should have a contrasting bright colour
(approximately 25 mm wide on both vertical and horizontal faces). Handrails, round
in section with diameter of 45-50 mm in easy to grip material and in a contrasting
colour, should be provided on both sides and should extend beyond the top and bottom
step by 300 mm. They should be fixed at a height of 850 mm above the tread. There
should be a gap between the bulkhead and the rail of at least 45 mm. Tactile
warnings should be provided at the top and bottom of each flight of steps.
11 For each 100 passengers the ship may carry, at least one place should be reserved
for a wheelchair, so that the wheelchair user may travel sitting in the wheelchair
together with other passengers. It should be possible to place the wheelchair
safely.
12 At least 4% of the ship's passenger seats should be suitable for disabled persons.
These seats should have sufficient space and be provided with suitable handholds in
order that disabled persons may support themselves when sitting down or getting up
from the seat. The handholds should be marked in a contrasting colour. If the space
available does not have enough leg room for persons with stiff legs, the seat in
front of the special seat should be a removable one. If seats are arranged in rows,
armrests which may constitute an obstruction to a disabled person, should be of a
type which can fold away. The seats for elderly and disabled persons should be
situated near evacuation routes and toilets.
CORRIDORS, DOORS AND RAILS
13 There should be sufficient space available for elderly and disabled persons to
move about, especially on board ships at sea for longer periods of time. There
should be handrails at a height 90 cm above the floor, preferably on both sides of
the corridors. The handrail profile should be without edges and have a diameter of
approximately 3.5 - 5 cm. Handrails should have a colour contrasting the background
and consideration should be given to provision of tactile markings on the handrails
to provide guidance/information to visually impaired passengers. Supports may also
be needed elsewhere, especially in restaurants, the back of seats and in the toilet
areas. Corridors should be wide enough for wheelchairs to pass other persons.
DECK AND FLOOR
14 Decks and floors should be level and have slip resistant surface. If steps are
necessary, they should not be higher than 3 cm, or a ramp of a fine-masked grid or
equivalent and handholds should be arranged at the step.
CABINS
15 On ships with cabins, a number of cabins suitable for wheelchair users should be
available. The free space in front of the bed or resting place should be at least
140 cm. Beds should be used instead of bunks (low front edge), as the disabled
person should be able to sit on the bed and undress. If bunks are used, the lower
bunk should have a free height above it of at least 110 cm to permit a person to
sit. The bed should be 50 cm above the floor. The switch for the reading light over
the bed should be placed so that it can be reached from a wheel chair and from the
bed. Electrical switches should be within easy reach and placed 90 cm above the
floor. Handholds should be positioned at the bed. The cabin door should be of the
side sliding type or swing outwards, unless enough space is available in the cabin
to permit the door to swing inwards and for a wheelchair. The free door opening
should be at least 90 cm. If a hand basin is placed in the cabin it should be
arranged as a wash in a lavatory explained below. The cabin should be equipped with
means of calling assistance.
LAVATORIES
16 Compatible with the size and use of the ship, a number of toilets suitable for
wheelchair users should be available, if possible on each passenger deck. The
toilets may be positioned separate from other toilets and may be used by both
genders. Directions to these toilets should be posted at the entrances to toilets
not suitable for wheelchair users. Doors should swing outwards or slide sideways and
it should be possible to unlock them from outside in an emergency by means of a key,
even when the door signals "occupied". There should be at least 110 cm from the
front of the toilet to the opposite wall or installations and 90 cm free space at
one side of the toilet. The toilet seat should be 45-48 cm above the floor. Support
which can fold up or swing aside should be placed at both sides of the toilet. The
hand basin should be within reach from the toilet and placed no higher than 80 cm
above the floor. The fixture of the hand basin should be strong enough for the hand
basin to be used as support. A mirror should be placed at a suitable height, the
lower edge 90 cm above the floor and the upper edge 190 cm above the floor. It
should be possible to place the front of a wheelchair under the hand basin, the free
height under the basin should be 70-75 cm. Soap, towels, etc., should be placed at a
height of about 90-100 cm above the floor. Means to call assistance should be
available in each lavatory.
ALLOCATION OF CABINS
17 In ships with cabins, elderly and disabled persons who may need assistance in an
emergency should be assigned cabins situated in the proximity of the embarkation
deck, so that they may be assisted to the survival craft quickly and easily. A list
of cabins occupied by passengers who may need assistance from the crew should be
available.
18 Cabins and toilets suitable for wheelchair users should be placed in the open
spaces which are found between cabin sections. Automatic doors are preferable. If
doors are provided with door pumps, the doors should have automatic door opening.
Ideally the sum of the width of the corridor plus the width of a corridor or door
opening at a 90? angle to the corridor should be 220 cm. Corridors in the cabin
section of the accommodation are traditionally 90 cm wide. The problem of cabin
doors and toilet doors for wheelchair users in such corridors may as a last resort
be solved by side sliding doors with a 100 cm free opening. The wider door opening
is necessary to permit wheelchairs to turn and wheel into the cabin.
CREW TRAINING
19 The crew should be given training and be issued with clear instructions about the
assistance needed by elderly and disabled persons in an emergency.
MEASURES FOR ALLERGIC PERSONS
20 The furnishings and bedding shall as far as possible be made from non-allergic
materials. The use of some areas should be prohibited for passengers who are
accompanied by furred animals.
INFORMATION
21 If an information counter is available, the height of the counter should be no
higher than 90 cm. An induction loop should be installed at the information counter.
22 Easy-to-read posters and signs with necessary information to the passengers should
be posted where relevant, especially at the accesses to the ship. Letters should be
of a simple type, bold and large in a colour which contrasts with the background
(e.g. black on yellow). The signs should be positioned at a suitable height above
the floor, approximately 150-160 cm, and be well lit. Audible information should be
spoken loud and clear. Information in alternative formats - braille, tactile or
audio tape - should also be considered for blind and partially sighted persons.
23 The ship should have equipment which permits information to be given at each port
in such a way, that both vision impaired persons and hearing impaired persons
receive the information.
SERVICE
24 It should be possible to buy any kind of ticket necessary for the voyage at the
terminal gate or on board, on appropriate services.
25 In ships where food is available, it should be possible for elderly and disabled
persons to have food served at the table. Tables should be of a design which allows
unimpeded access for wheelchair users.
26 Guide-dogs should be allowed access to passenger spaces, including those areas
where food is available.
27 Where telephones are available to passengers at least one should be accessible for
wheelchair users and marked accordingly.
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| Signs indicating equipment,
installations and facilities
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| suitable for disabled
persons.
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