What Are Accessible Features?

Easier Access

3 steps or less to a main entrance door of the property

Selecting this feature will ensure only properties with an entrance to the front, side or back of the house with 3 or less steps are highlighted. In flat developments the 'main entrance' would be the flat's own door, not the external door to the communal stair.

The '3 steps or less' would be counted from external ground level to the flat's entrance door. This avoids the situation where the external door meets the criteria but there are further steps in the corridor leading to a ground floor flat.

This measurement will also highlight whether a property has a lift. This is because it is safe to conclude that a property on, for example, a second floor and with less than 3 steps to the main entrance door must have a lift.

What about small steps or lips?
The features the criteria look to highlight are significant and unmoveable. Small lips, caused by a door surround or weather strips are generally overcomeable. 6 steps to a front door generally aren't.

Don't confuse this feature with: a measure of the gradient to the main entrance door from the road. Whilst the gradient is very important, it's too difficult to measure in an objective way.

This feature is particularly valued by: wheelchair users looking to ramp a property, less mobile people who have difficulty climbing stairs, people using children's buggies

Wide doors

All door openings greater than 750mm

Selecting this feature will mean only properties with all door openings wider than 750mm will be highlighted. This will help ensures someone with a wheelchair, walking frame or of a larger size can gain access to all rooms in a building. It's particularly relevant to bathroom doors which may well be narrower than other doors. Widening a door opening is often very expensive or impossible.

Don't confuse this feature with: a measure of door width. The 'door opening' is the maximum width available for something to travel through. The door width doesn't allow for any reduction in the door opening by the door itself or the door shuts.

This feature is particularly valued by: wheelchair users, people using children's buggies, people using walking frames.

A convenient toilet

Toilet on the same level as the living room and kitchen

Selecting this feature will highlight only those properties with what's commonly referred to as a downstairs toilet. Whilst most property particulars highlight 'downstairs' toilets or toilets on the living-level (since not all living rooms are on the ground floor) it's not generally possible to search for a property including one.

Don't confuse this feature with: a bathroom or accessible toilet. Whilst the toilet may be within a bathroom, it is not necessary for bathing facilities to be provided or for the toilet to be accessible. Choosing this feature along with the 'wide doors' option would, however, highlight those toilets that were easier to enter.

This feature is particularly valued by: older or less mobile people who are content to use stairs occasionally to access different floors but need easy access to a toilet.

All rooms on same level

No internal steps or stairs

Selecting this feature will eliminate properties that:

• > have internal stairs to another floor
• > have a step up or down between rooms

Ensuring there aren't any stairs in a property removes the need for either a stair lift or for a through-floor lift.

Eliminating properties with a step or steps up or down to a room particular helps wheelchair users for whom even a single step can be a huge barrier because they are very difficult to ramp.

Don't by confused by: the fact that most flats have this feature - it doesn't matter. Many people, particularly older people, will only go outside occasionally and will be happy to climb stairs on these occasions. Internal stairs, however, normally have to be climbed regularly and are a real barrier.

People can choose this feature along with the 'Easy Access - 3 steps or less to a main entrance door' criteria if they are unhappy about climbing stairs to the front door.

Alternative use: could be used to identify bungalows that haven't had a roof conversion and are ripe for expansion.

This feature is particularly valued by: wheelchair users and those who find climbing stairs difficult.

Unrestricted parking within 25 metres

Choosing this feature will highlight those properties that benefit from parking nearby. 'Unrestricted' means parking that is not subject to parking restrictions which are indicated by the presence of solid white, yellow or red lines at the edge of the road.

Whilst many disabled people can't, or don't choose to drive, those that do drive may be highly dependent on their car. Those that don't may rely on people being able to park their car whilst visiting them or collecting from and returning them to their house.

Don't confuse this feature with:

• > residents' parking or off street parking. Whilst the parking may include either of these types of parking, it does not have to be one or the other since these can be a luxury in a town or city.
• > a disabled parking bay

Alternative use: could be used to highlight housing outwith parking restriction zones

This feature is particularly valued by: wheelchair users and people with limited physical mobility

A ground, first or garden level location

(or the ability to choose a particular floor)

Selecting this feature will highlight only those properties on the ground, first or basement floor. Alternatively, and preferably, the feature will allow someone to highlight only the properties on their chosen floor.

Ground, first or basement properties are particularly suitable for those with limited mobility. Choosing a property on these levels limits the number of steps someone has to climb and this is therefore of particular value to disabled, less fit or older people.

First floor properties also offer a good compromise between better security, since windows are above ground level, and an ease of exiting in an emergency. This feature is particularly important to those with hearing or visual impairments who may be unable to hear an intruder but who may also become aware of danger such as a fire later than non disabled people.

Don't by confused by: the idea that disabled people might want to live on floors other than the ground floor - it's only natural that they will.

Alternative use: could be used to identify properties more likely to have a good view.

This feature is particularly valued by: people who find climbing stairs difficult and those for whom safety and security is an issue.