Access & Historic Properties

Overview

Historically, most buildings and landscapes were not designed to be readily accessible for people with disabilities. In recent years, however, emphasis has been placed on preserving historically significant properties, and on making these properties -- and the activities within them -- more accessible to people with disabilities. Providing access for persons with disabilities in ways that preserve the character of the historic property is a challenge and requires creativity. Compliance is required under titles II and III of the ADA, but the accessibility standards, the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, are more flexible when applied to historic buildings and facilities.

Planning Accessibility Modifications

Historic properties are distinguished by features, materials, spaces, and spatial relationships that contribute to their character. Often these elements, such as steep terrain, monumental steps, narrow or heavy doors, decorative ornamental hardware, and narrow pathways, pose barriers to persons with disabilities, particularly to wheelchair users. A three-step approach is recommended to identify and implement accessibility modifications that will protect the integrity and historic character of historic properties:

1. Review the historical significance of the property and identify character-defining features.
2. Assess the property's existing and required level of accessibility.
3. Evaluate accessibility options within a preservation context.

Accessibility Solutions

The goal in selecting appropriate solutions for specific historic properties is to provide a high level of accessibility without compromising significant features or the overall character of the property. State and local requirements may differ from ADA requirements. Before making any modification owners should be aware of all applicable accessibility requirements.

The Building Site

An accessible route from a parking lot, sidewalk, and public street to the entrance of a historic building or facility is essential. An accessible route, to the maximum extent possible, should be the circulation route used by the general public. Critical elements of accessible routes are their widths, slopes, cross slopes, and surface texture. The distance between the arrival and destination points should also be as short as possible.

Parking

If parking is provided, it should be as convenient as possible for people with disabilities. Designated parking can often be created to improve accessibility. Modifications to parking configurations and pathways should not alter significant landscape features.

Accessible Routes

The route through a site to a historic building's entrance should be wide enough, generally at least 3 feet, to accommodate visitors with disabilities and must be appropriately graded with a stable, firm, and slip-resistant surface. Existing paths should be modified to meet these requirements whenever possible as long as doing so would not threaten or destroy significant materials and features. At large properties, it may be possible to regrade a slope to less than 1:20 (5%).

Entrances

Whenever possible, access to historic buildings should be through a primary public entrance. If this cannot be achieved without permanent damage to character-defining features, at least one entrance used by the public should be made accessible. A rear or service entrance should be avoided as the only mean of entering a building. Creating an accessible entrance usually involves overcoming a change in elevation. Steps, landings, doors, and thresholds often pose barriers for persons with disabilities. To preserve the integrity of these features, a number of solutions are available to increase accessibility.

Regrading an Entrance

In some cases, when the entrance steps and landscape features are not highly significant, it may be possible to regrade to provide a smooth entrance into a building. If the existing steps are historic masonry, they should be buried, whenever possible, and not removed.

The ramps at this historic federal building were designed to provide equal access while preserving the building's original fabric.

Incorporating Ramps

As a new feature, ramps should be carefully designed and appropriately located to preserve a property's historic character. Larger buildings may have below grade areas that can accommodate a ramp down to an entrance. Ramps can often be incorporated behind features, such as cheek-walls or railings, to minimize the visual effect.

Ramps can be faced with a variety of materials, including wood, brick, and stone. Often the type and quality of the materials determines how compatible a ramp design will be with a historic property. Railings should be simple in design, distinguishable from other historic features, and should extend one foot beyond the sloped area.

Installing Wheelchair Lifts

Platform lifts and inclined stair lifts can be used to overcome changes of elevation ranging from three to 10 feet in height. Inclined stair lifts, which carry a wheelchair on a platform up a flight of stairs, may be employed selectively. They tend to be visually intrusive, although they are relatively reversible. Platform lifts can be used when there is inadequate space for a ramp.

A new elevator entrance was provided next to the stairs to provide universal access to the services inside.

Considering a New Entrance

When it is not possible to modify an existing entrance, it may be possible to develop a new entrance by creating an entirely new opening in an appropriate location, or by using a secondary window for an opening. This solution should only be considered after exhausting all possibilities for modifying existing entrances.

The automatic door to this museum building is a practical solution for universal entry.

Retrofitting Doors

Historic doors generally should not be replaced, nor should door frames on the primary elevation be widened. However, if a building's historic doors have been removed, there may be greater latitude in designing a new entrance. Most accessibility standards require at least a 32" clear opening with manageable door opening pressures. The most desirable preservation solution to improve accessibility is retaining historic doors and upgrading the door pressure with one of several devices. Automatic door openers (operated by push buttons, mats, or electronic eyes) can eliminate or reduce door pressures that are accessibility barriers, and make single or double-leaf doors fully operational.

Altering Door Thresholds

A door threshold that exceeds the allowable height, generally 1/2", can be altered or removed with one that meets applicable accessibility requirements. If the threshold is deemed to be significant, a bevel can be added on each side to reduce its height.

Moving Through Historic Interiors

Persons with disabilities should have independent access to all public areas and facilities inside historic buildings. Primary spaces are often more difficult to modify without changing their character. Secondary spaces may generally be changed without compromising a building's historic character.

Installing Ramps and Wheelchair Lifts

If space permits, ramps and wheelchair lifts can also be used to increase accessibility inside buildings. However, some States and localities restrict interior uses of wheelchair lifts for life-safety reasons. Care should be taken to install these new features where they can be readily accessed.

Upgrading Elevators

Some buildings have existing historic elevators that are not adequately accessible for persons with disabilities because of their size, location, or detailing, but they may also contribute to the historical significance of a building. Significant historic elevators can usually be upgraded to improve accessibility. Control panels can be modified with a "wand" on a cord to make the control panel accessible, and timing devices can usually be adjusted.

Example of a well-designed modification of a historic railing to comply with accessibility requirements.

Modifying Interior Stairs

Stairs are the primary barriers for many people with disabilities. However, there are ways to modify stairs to assist people who are able to navigate them. It may be appropriate to add hand railings if none exist. Railings should return to the wall so straps and bags do not catch. Beveled or closed risers are recommended unless the stairs are highly significant, because open risers catch feet.

Building Amenities

Some amenities, such as restrooms, seating, telephones, drinking fountains, counters, may contribute to a building's historic character. They will often require modification to improve their use by persons with disabilities. In many cases, supplementing existing amenities, rather than changing or removing them, will increase access and minimize changes.

Upgrading Restrooms

Restrooms may have historic fixtures such as sinks, urinals, or marble partitions that can be retained in the process of making modifications. Larger restrooms can sometimes be reconfigured by relocating or combining partitions to create an accessible toilet stall. Other changes to consider are adding grab bars around toilets, covering water pipes under sinks with insulation to prevent burns, and providing a sink, mirror, and paper dispenser at a height suitable for wheelchair users. A unisex restroom may be created if it is technically infeasible to create two fully accessible restrooms.

Signage

Signage should be integrated into the historic building fabric in ways that preserve the historic character, and avoid degradation, removal, and damage of historic finishes and signs.

Modifying Other Amenities

Other amenities inside historic buildings may require modification. Seating in a theater can be made accessible by removing some seats in several areas. New seating that is accessible can also be added at the end of existing rows, either with or without a level floor surface. Readily removable seats may be installed in wheelchair spaces when the spaces are not required to accommodate wheelchair users. Historic water fountains can be retained and new, two-tiered fountains installed if space permits. If public telephones are provided, it may be necessary to install a Text Telephone (TT). Historic service counters commonly found in banks, theaters, and hotels generally should not be altered. It is preferable to add an accessible counter on the end of a historic counter if feasible.

Making Historic Landscapes Accessible

Careful research and inventory should be undertaken to determine which materials and features convey the landscape's historical significance. As part of this evaluation, those features that are character-defining (topographical variation, vegetation, circulation, structures, furnishings, objects) should be identified. Historic finishes, details, and materials that also contribute to a landscape's significance should also be documented and evaluated prior to determining an approach to landscape accessibility. For example, aspects of the pedestrian circulation system that need to be understood include walk width, aggregate size, pavement pattern, texture, relief, and joint details.

Alternatives to Physical Access

In some cases, programmatic access may be the only option for extremely small or unaltered historic properties, such as a two-story house museum with no internal elevator. Programmatic access for historic properties refers to alternative methods of providing services, information, and experiences when physical access cannot be provided. It may mean offering an audio-visual program showing an inaccessible upper floor of a historic house museum, providing interpretive panels from a vista at an inaccessible terraced garden, or creating a tactile model of a historic monument for people with visual impairments.

Conclusion

Historic properties are irreplaceable and require care to ensure their preservation for future generations. With the passage of the ADA, access to historic properties open to the public is a civil right, and owners of historic properties must evaluate existing buildings and determine how they can be made more accessible. Most historic buildings are not exempt from providing accessibility, and with careful planning, historic properties can be made more accessible, so that all citizens can enjoy our nation's diverse heritage.

(Sources: "Making Historic Properties Accessible," Thomas C. Jester and Sharon C. Park, AIA, National Park Service, 1993 and Comply with Accessibility Requirements (www.wbdg.org/design/comply_requirements.php?print=1), WBDG Historic Preservation Committee.)

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