The accessibility glossary
Plain definitions of the terms that decide whether a trip works: step-free access, Changing Places toilets, turning circles, gradients, level boarding and the rest. Written with the numbers attached, because a word without a measurement behind it cannot be planned around.
Accessibility has a vocabulary problem. The same phrase is used by a venue with level entry and a compliant toilet and by a venue with two steps and a member of staff willing to lift, and both uses are sincere. A traveller reading either one still does not know whether they can get in. The terms on this page are the ones that come up when the answer actually matters, and each is defined against a dimension rather than an adjective.
Standards differ between countries, and we say so where they do. The figures used here are the ones our measurement protocol records against, drawn from national building standards across Europe and Japan, which converge closely on the same numbers without being identical. Where a figure is common practice rather than universal law, it is marked that way. Where a country genuinely disagrees with its neighbours, we describe the disagreement instead of picking a winner.
All terms
14 terms-
Accessibility audit
A structured on-site assessment of a building against a published protocol, recording measured dimensions with instruments, photographs and a date.
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Accessible toilet
A cubicle sized for a wheelchair transfer: a 150 cm turning circle, clear transfer space beside the pan, grab rails, and a door that opens outwards.
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Assistance animal
A dog trained to perform tasks for a disabled handler, with legal rights of access to venues, transport and accommodation in most countries.
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Changing Places toilet
A large accessible toilet with an adult-sized changing bench, a ceiling hoist and room for two carers — around 12 m², far beyond a standard accessible cubicle.
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Clear door width
The actual opening you can pass through with the door held at 90 degrees. We look for 90 cm at main entrances and 80 cm on internal doors.
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Companion ticket
Free or reduced entry for a carer or companion accompanying a disabled visitor, offered because the second person is there to enable the visit.
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Gradient
The steepness of a slope, given as a percentage or a ratio. Up to 5% is comfortable; above 8% needs assistance; above 10% is unsafe to descend unaided.
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Hearing loop
An induction loop that sends sound straight to a hearing aid switched to its T setting, cutting out background noise and room echo.
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Level boarding
Getting on a train, tram or bus with the vehicle floor flush with the platform, so there is no step up and only a minimal horizontal gap.
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Low-floor bus
A bus with no interior steps at the entrance, usually able to kneel towards the kerb and deploy a ramp to a designated wheelchair bay.
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Sensory map
A published map of a venue marking noise, lighting, crowding and quiet spaces, so visitors can plan a route that suits their sensory needs.
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Step-free access
A route you can travel without a single step, from the street or platform to where you are going, including the gap between platform and train.
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Tactile paving
Textured ground surfaces read underfoot or through a cane. Different patterns carry different meanings: warning, guidance and platform edge.
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Turning circle
The largest unobstructed circle of clear floor in a space. 150 cm is the working figure for turning a wheelchair through 360 degrees.
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