Fences and gates

Equal access
Requirements for the integration of equal access for all users
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) defines ‘premises’ as the whole of the built environment and includes existing buildings, new or proposed buildings, transport systems, car parks, pathways, and public parks and gardens.
Note: Consult an access consultant accredited by the Association of Consultants in Access Australia (ACAA).
Elements required for equal access
- Embellishments must be designed in accordance with AS 1428 Design for access and mobility.
- Ensure that gates are connected to a continuous accessible path of travel (CAPT), to enable equal access for people who are blind or have low vision and for people who use wheelchairs, mobility aids or assistance animals. Ensure that the path connects to an equal access car park space.
- Latches and gates should be set at a height which is available to people who use wheelchairs or mobility devices.
- Latches and hinges must include minimum 12 mm offset from gate posts both sides, to prevent finger entrapment.
- Pedestrian gates should open both ways if possible (with the exception of play space gates).
- Install a paved entry and gate system sufficiently wide enough for wheelchair access (1.2 m minimum).
- Avoid finished height difference between a shelter slab and adjoining surfaces to prevent trip hazards and to prevent ‘tramlining’ of pram, bicycle and wheelchair wheels.
- Provision for wheelchair circulation:
- 510 mm clear distance along a fence to any obstacle (on the latch side of gate).
- 530 mm clear distance along a fence to any obstacle (on the hinge side of gate).
- Allow adequate wheelchair circulation space between gates.
- There must be no obstacles within this wheelchair manoeuvre area.
Visual/sensory wayfinding
- For people with a vision impairment, provide a minimum 30% luminance contrast between objects and the background they are viewed against, for ease of identification.
- Where luminance contrast may not be achieved (such as grey aluminium furniture on grey concrete), luminance contrast can be addressed by introducing colour into the ground surface providing a minimum 30% luminance contrast with the embellishment base, resulting in the embellishment being more visible for people who have low vision.
- Consider designing nodes with a contrasting coloured concrete, or a variation in surface texture, to enable people with a disability to identify the location of embellishments along a pathway.
- A brightly coloured entry gate will accentuate a gate position and assist people with low vision.
- The gate must be highly visible in prevailing light conditions such as full shade, partial shade, full sun and partial sun.
- Where a gate is in a full sun location, select materials that minimise glare (such as reflection off mirror finish stainless steel).
This component is currently in development