Senior Accessible Checklist

Seniors are the fastest growing segment of our Canadian population and the highest users of health services. In Ottawa, we also have a growing number of cultures. Providing care to seniors must involve consideration of the environment, communication, and an understanding of the physiological changes with aging. As all seniors are different, they age differently. With advanced aging, we should be aware of the following:

  • Decreased vision - many elderly need 30 per cent more light, large print and strong contrast (e.g. black on yellow or white) to see clearly.
  • Decreased hearing - it is important to be aware that many elderly use hearing aids and we need to take this into account when communicating with them.
  • Mobility challenges - many elderly use canes, walkers, or wheelchairs. It is important to accommodate these needs by providing, for example, automatic doors and wide door openings.
  • Communication and comprehension - when communicating with the elderly, it is important to remember that, with age, memory changes. Furthermore, communication with the elderly can be more delicate owing to education levels, diverse languages, and cultural differences.

This checklist has been developed to assist you in assessing whether or not your establishment is senior accessible. It has been developed by the Senior Accessible Health Care sub-committee of the Council on Aging of Ottawa and is based on the work previously done by J. O'Keefe of the Regional Geriatric Assessment Program and the Senior Accessible aux aînés store checklist of the Ottawa Falls Prevention Coalition. A worksheet is provided to allow you to document your findings and to plan for future improvements. Definitions are supplied to assist you further.

Senior Accessible Checklist

Description
Checkbox
Yes
No
N/A

1. Parking Lot or Street Access (for definitions)

      
  • Good lighting
      
  • Handicapped parking spaces readily available
      
  • Surface maintained and dangers clearly marked
      
  • Clear of ice, snow or obstacles (salt or sand available)
      
  • Clear signage: lanes, elevators, stairs
      

2. Ramps and Stairs (for definitions)

      
  • Adequate ramping
      
  • Clearly marked top/bottom steps
      
  • Edges of ramps
      
  • Raised thresholds
      
  • Uneven surfaces
      
  • Hand rails on both sides of stairs to extend beyond top/bottom landings
      
  • Stairs in good repair, not slippery
      

3. Entrances / Floors (for definitions)

      
  • Covered drop-off areas
      
  • Non-slip flooring
      
  • Flooring clear of snow
      
  • Mats flat and secure
      
  • Automatic door opener convenient
      
  • Transport wheelchair available
      
  • Lever handles on all doors
      
  • All doors wide enough for wheelchairs clearance
      
  • Indoor and outdoor seating available at entrance
      
  • Entrance and elevator doors open/close at a safe speed
      
  • Accessible public telephone
      

4. Lighting (for definitions)

      
  • Natural fluorescent, full spectrum lighting
      
  • No glare; use cove lighting
      
  • Good lighting in elevator
      
  • Elevator control panel well lit: numbers contrasted
      

5. Waiting Areas and Offices (for definitions)

      
  • Seating 18 – 19” high x 18 – 20” deep with firm cushions
      
  • Chair arms extend to front of chair edge, 10” above seat
      
  • Adequate space for wheelchair
      
  • Reception desk at wheelchair height
      
  • No glass partition between client and receptionist
      
  • Tables with rounded corners
      
  • Colours at warm end of spectrum
      
  • Assistive listening device available
      
  • Adjustable examination table
      

6. Signage (for definitions)

      
  • Simple and concise message
      
  • Strong contrast of print against signage background
      
  • Braille where appropriate
      

7. Washrooms (for definitions)

      
  • Handicapped accessible cubicle
      
  • Grab bars beside toilet
      
  • High toilet available (18”)
      
  • Levered faucet handles or auto on/off sink
      
  • At least one hand dryer at wheelchair level
      

Worksheet

1. Parking lot or street access: _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Ramps and Stairs: _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. Entrances and Floors ___________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. Lighting ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Waiting areas and Offices _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. Signage:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

7.Washrooms

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Other comments:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Definitions for the Senior Accessible Checklist

1. Parking Lot: [back to checklist]

  1. Good Lighting
    • Ensure adequate lighting to avoid falls and other injuries. The use of at least 60-100 watt light bulbs, or their equivalent, outside your building is recommended.
  2. Have handicapped parking spaces readily available
    • Set aside at least 3 percent of public parking spaces for the exclusive use of disabled persons.
    • Ensure that handicapped parking spaces have a minimum width standard of 3.9 metres (12.8 feet).
  3. Ensure that the parking lot surface is maintained free of cracks and holes, and that uneven surfaces are clearly identified with contrast paint, a sign or pylon(s)
    • Indicate cracks, holes or uneven surfaces with signs or mark them with paint.
    • Fill in holes or cracks.
  4. Clear ice and snow during winter
    • Ensure that slippery and snow-covered surfaces are cleared and sanded or gritted, as required.
    • Put up a sign to encourage your patrons to report any unsafe conditions.
    • Have salt and sand available near the entrance.
  5. Provide large directional signage indicating lanes, elevators and stairs
    • Signs for these purposes should be well illuminated: the characters should be well contrasted against the background and should have high intensity reflective characters to assist in night viewing.
    • In general, signs should be explicit, concisely worded and contain easily understood symbols and diagrams (i.e. clear and sharp, not stylized). It is important to avoid a proliferation of signs, as this creates visual noise which can be very confusing to persons with visual impairments. See section 6 for more details.

2. Ramps and Stairs [back to checklist]

  1. Provide adequate ramping
    • Mark edges with contrast color. Check that markings are clearly visible: the use of yellow paint is recommended for this purpose.
    • Put up a "Watch Your Step" sign.
    • Mix grit into outdoor paint and apply to ramps and stairs. Re-apply as necessary.
    • Install non-slip runners properly on ceramic tile, or on other slippery ramp and floor surfaces.
    • Remove all obstructions (including snow and ice).
    • Ensure that handrails are firmly attached on both sides of ramp; handrails should extend 30 centimetres (12 inches) beyond the top and the bottom of ramp and stairs.
    • Keep handrails clear of decorations during festive celebrations.

3. Entrances / Floor [back to checklist]

  1. Ensure that non-slip flooring is free of water, snow and ice
    • Install non-slip mats that lay flat and are secured to the floor.
    • Ensure that there are no ripples, tears, or corners that curl up.
    • Indicate wet floors with proper signage.
    • Do not use high gloss wax. Minimize glare.
  2. Automatic door opener should be conveniently placed
    • Switches should be accessible to a person in a wheelchair and should be mounted at not more than 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) above the floor.
  3. Wheelchair availability
    • Provide transport wheelchairs with footrests that are easily accessible.
  4. Provide lever handles on all doors
    • Ensure that controls and operating mechanisms are clearly visible and are easily operated with one hand.
  5. Ensure doors are wide enough for wheelchair clearance
    • Ensure that doors are at least 81 centimetres (2.7 feet) wide.
  6. Ensure that entrance and elevator doors open and close at a safe speed
    • It is suggested to set the speed of access for cane or walker users.
  7. Provide accessible public telephone at wheelchair height with volume control and flex coil

4. Lighting [back to checklist]

  1. Provide natural florescent, full spectrum lighting
    • Due to changes in the aging lens, the elderly population as a whole requires higher levels of illumination. An 80-year old needs at least three times as much light on a task to see it with the same clarity as a 20-year old. While illumination should be adequate to enable persons with visual impairments to utilize their vision effectively, it should also be directed and controlled so that it does not create glare.
    • Full spectrum lighting refers to fluorescent lights that mimic natural sunlight. For a comprehensive guide to this issue see http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/fullSpectrum/abstract.asp. This document also gives several manufacturers who produce bulbs which are equally as good as full spectrum lights without the additional cost.
  2. Avoid glare and use cove lighting
    • Install lights that can be directed and controlled to minimize glare. Also, avoid glare on signage; using matte finishes instead of glossy, glare-promoting finishes. Low-level fixtures (i.e. below 1500 millimetres, or 59 inches, in height) should also be designed to avoid glare.
  3. Provide adequate lighting in elevator
    • The minimum illumination level in an elevator should be 100 lux on all controls and mechanisms.
    • In addition, 200 lux is required to read text.

5. Waiting Areas & Offices [back to checklist]

  1. Provide adequate space for wheelchairs
    • Ensure that waiting areas and offices provide adequate space to manoeuvre a wheelchair. For instance, a full-sized wheelchair requires at least 60 inches (1.5 metres) in diameter to make a 180-degree turn.
  2. Wheelchair-height reception desk
    • A reception desk at wheelchair height and with no glass separating client and receptionist improve communication.
  3. Use colours at warm end of light spectrum
    • Choose pink, red, orange and yellow as opposed to blue, green and grey, which are harder for the aging eye to pickup.
  4. Provide assistive listening devices
    • These include one-on-one listening devices, clear speakerphones and counter loop systems.
  5. Use an adjustable examination table
    • If this is not possible, then a stable stepping stool with handrails is a good alternative.

6. Signage [back to checklist]

  1. Provide a simple and concise message
    • Ensure that signage is perpendicular to the wall, including directional (way finding) signage. Do not paint signs on the floor.
  2. Use a strong contrast of print against signage background
    • The information below provides guidelines to ensure maximum visibility for the elderly.

      Minimum character height

      Maximum viewing distance

      Millimetres

      Inches

      Metres

      Feet

      200

      8

      6.00

      6.00

      150

      6

      4.60

      15

      100

      4

      2.50

      8.2

      75

      3

      2.30

      7.5

      50

      2

      1.50

      5

      25

      1

      0.75

      2.5

7. Washrooms [back to checklist]

  1. Ensure that washrooms are large enough for wheelchair / walker / caregiver access
    • A cubicle should measure, at a minimum, 4' 11" X 4' 11" (1.5 metres X 1.5 metres)
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