Development of a Universal Design-Based Guide for Handrails: An Empirical Study for Hong Kong Elderly

Vivian W. Y. Tam, Ivan W. H. Fung, Y. T. Tsang and Leo Chan
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Vivian W. Y. Tam: School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Western Sydney University, Australia and Honorary Professor, College of Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Ivan W. H. Fung: Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
Y. T. Tsang: Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
Leo Chan: Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-32

Abstract: An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accordance with those living in public rental housing buildings is to allow their circulation to be barrier-free and self-supported. Therefore, the provision of a handrail guide could improve their living standard. This paper develops a universal design guide for handrails focusing on the needs of elderly. Fifteen routes with mostly elderly were selected and targeted for evaluating the existing problems with handrail provision. Surveys and informal interviews with elderly, adults, and children were also conducted to further investigate their needs, their ease of existing facilities, and possible future implementation to improve their ease. From the survey results, it was found that most of the existing problems with handrail layouts exist within the community. In addition to standardizing, modifying, and suggesting the ideas on handrail design and layout, the promotion of the ideas from universal design was the emphasis on this investigation in order to make a barrier-free city into a barrier-free but universal community for a better international city. The guide focuses on the standardization of synthetization of the scope in terms of design and layout. Simultaneously, an advanced part of design also regards the improvement of technological, environmental, and self-support features to improve Hong Kong’s international friendliness with tailor-made ideas such as Elderlysteady.

Keywords: barrier-free handrail; risk-free handrail; universal design guide; elderly; Hong Kong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:11:p:4233-:d:183358

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