The short answer
Accessibility is decided long before a visitor reaches your door. They first check your website, plan parking, trace the route from the car to the entrance, and only then meet the threshold and the reception desk. This audit walks that whole chain — website, route, parking, doors, desk — so you can remove barriers before the visitor even sets off.
Key takeaways
- The pre-visit decision happens online: an accessible website, honest access information and a contact for questions shape access as much as the ramp itself.
- Accessible parking must sit on the shortest accessible route to an accessible entrance, not somewhere near the building.
- Audit the whole chain, not one doorway: level path, threshold, opening force, maneuvering space and counter height all interact.
- Norms differ by jurisdiction — SP 59.13330.2020 in Russia, the 2010 ADA Standards in the US, the Equality Act 2010 in the UK — so always cite the current official text.
- Accessibility decays between audits: a reserved space gets taken, a closer weakens, an automatic door sensor stops working.
- Staff who know how to offer and give help complete the physical fixes; without them even a compliant building can fail a visitor.
The journey is the door
Design teams usually test the point of entry: clear width, ramp, call button. But a disabled visitor experiences access much earlier. Before travelling they judge whether the trip will work — whether a space will be free, whether the path is navigable, whether they will be received somewhere they can comfortably complete the visit.
The practical consequence is to design and audit a service route, not an entrance. If any link in the chain fails — the website, the markings, the threshold or the counter height — the rest of the effort partly loses its value. That is why accessibility reviews increasingly begin at the digital front door and end at the payment or check-in zone.
The duty is usually anticipatory rather than reactive. In the UK the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments in advance, including to premises; in the US the 2010 ADA Standards set scoping and technical requirements for places of public accommodation; in Russia the reference is SP 59.13330.2020 with related GOST standards.
- Typical points of failure: an unusable website, an occupied accessible space, an uneven path, a heavy door, a desk with no lower section.
- Test in personae: a wheelchair user, a cane or white-cane user, a blind visitor with a guide dog, a parent with a stroller.
- Universal design at the drawing stage costs less than retrofitting after the building opens.
The digital front door: website and pre-visit information
The first barrier is digital. If a person cannot tell from your site whether the place is accessible and how to reach it, they may simply not come. The baseline is the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), level AA in versions 2.1 or 2.2: sufficient text contrast, text alternatives for images, keyboard operability and a logical structure.
Public bodies in the UK must meet WCAG 2.2 AA and publish an accessibility statement; public-sector digital content in Russia is expected to follow the accessibility requirements of GOST R 52872-2019. Private venues should treat the same principles as a quality standard even when not strictly obliged.
Beyond technical compliance, publish practical content: a 'Getting here' page with the address, a route map, photos identifying the accessible entrance, details of parking and accessible toilets, lifts and any loan equipment, plus a direct phone or email for questions. Honest pre-visit information removes uncertainty; it does not replace physical fixes, but it stops a journey from being abandoned before it starts.
- Publish an accessibility statement and review it at least once a year.
- Check text contrast (at least 4.5:1 for normal text), alt text on images and full keyboard navigation.
- Give a phone number or messaging channel where visitors can confirm access before travelling.
- State whether there is an accessible toilet, a lift, a loan wheelchair and space for a guide dog.
Parking and the route to the entrance
An accessible space belongs on the shortest accessible route to an accessible entrance — a principle shared by Russia's SP 59.13330.2020 and the US 2010 ADA Standards. Under SP 59.13330.2020, spaces for disabled drivers are placed roughly within 50–100 metres of the entrance and made extra-wide so a person can get out and turn a wheelchair safely; Russian guidance often sizes a wheelchair-user space at about 6.0 × 3.6 m.
The 2010 ADA Standards give precise figures: a standard car accessible space is at least 96 inches wide with an adjacent access aisle at least 60 inches wide; van spaces need either extra width (about 132 inches) with a 60-inch aisle, or standard width with a 96-inch aisle, plus about 98 inches of vertical clearance. The aisle must be marked, level with the space and kept clear, or cars will park in it.
Then check the surface of the path itself: it must be firm, stable and slip-resistant, without steps and with gentle slopes. Where the slope exceeds the permitted limit, a ramp is required. Pinch points where a wheelchair and an oncoming pedestrian cannot pass are another common, overlooked barrier.
- Count accessible spaces per parking facility, not across the whole site.
- In Russia, confirm the number and dimensions of spaces against the current edition of SP 59.13330.2020 and regional rules.
- Protect the access aisle with markings and bollards so it cannot be blocked.
- Check there is no curb between the space and the entrance without a ramp or flush crossing.
Doors, thresholds and the entrance zone
Perfect parking is worthless if a person cannot get in. In the US, the 2010 ADA Standards and Access Board guidance set clear figures: a door opening must provide at least 32 inches of clear width, measured between the face of the door and the stop with the door open 90 degrees; thresholds may be at most about half an inch with bevels; interior hinged doors should need no more than about 5 pounds of force to open; hardware should sit 34–48 inches above the floor and work with a loose grip or closed fist.
Closing speed matters too: a closer should take at least 5 seconds to bring the door from 90 degrees down to about 12 degrees, giving a wheelchair user time to pass. Revolving doors and turnstiles cannot be part of an accessible route — an accessible pass-through or an automatic door must sit alongside them.
Automatic doors are the most convenient option, but they need maintenance: a failing sensor or a door that closes too fast converts an 'accessible' entrance into a barrier. Test the door in both powered and power-off mode, and keep the maneuvering space in front of it free of furniture and displays.
- Alongside a heavy or revolving door there must be an accessible alternative entrance.
- Use lever handles or automation, not round knobs that need grip and rotation.
- Keep thresholds and level changes within limits and bevel them.
- Test automatic doors with power on and in emergency or power-off mode.
- Ramps and stairs need handrails and contrasting edge markings.
Reception and the service counter
The chain continues indoors: a visitor must be able to approach the desk, exchange documents and pay or sign. A tall, unbroken counter with no lower section stops a wheelchair user getting close and turns a routine exchange into a request for help.
The common fix is a dual-height counter or a separate lowered section. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, sales and service counters need an accessible portion at least 36 inches long and no more than about 34–36 inches high, with knee and toe clearance and room to approach. The same logic appears in Russian norms: the service zone should be usable by a person in a wheelchair, with space under the counter for knees and feet.
Height alone is not enough. Clear the approach: if chairs, brochure stands or planters crowd the lowered section, it is effectively inaccessible. A call button or a clearly signed spot where a visitor can request assistance is a practical addition, provided staff are trained to respond.
- Provide a lowered counter section with knee space and room to pull up close.
- Keep a free turning area in front of the counter, clear of furniture.
- Make forms, card readers and items to sign reachable by a seated person.
- Train staff to offer help respectfully and to know the alternatives if a physical barrier remains.
Audits, maintenance and staff
Even a well-designed facility decays: the reserved space gets taken, the access aisle fills up, the door closer weakens, and the lowered counter is blocked by deliveries. A full walk-through audit once a year, plus quick checks throughout the year, is normal operations rather than a one-off campaign.
The best way to find real barriers is to walk the route with a disabled person rather than only from drawings. Such a session surfaces what drawings miss: glare, noise, lighting, the reliability of a call button and how staff actually behave.
Legal duties — the anticipatory duty under the UK Equality Act 2010, the ADA in the US, SP 59.13330.2020 and Federal Law 181-FZ in Russia — are the floor, not the ceiling. Standards and editions change, so always verify against the current official text in your jurisdiction and update your access information and statement accordingly.
- Once a year, run a full walk-through with a representative of the disabled community.
- Monthly, check accessible parking, call buttons and automatic door operation.
- Keep a log of findings and deadlines for removing barriers.
- Train staff in guiding etiquette and alternative ways to serve a visitor.
- Refresh the accessibility statement and 'Getting here' page whenever anything changes.
Put it into practice
The 'Route to the Desk' access audit checklist
Run the route as a real visit, ideally with a person who uses a wheelchair, a cane or a guide dog. Mark each item yes / no / partially and record what to fix and by when. Confirm the control figures against the code that applies where the venue is located — for example the 2010 ADA Standards in the US, SP 59.13330.2020 in Russia, or a national building code elsewhere.
- The website works with a screen reader: images have alt text, form fields have labels and text contrast passes 4.5:1.
- A 'Getting here' page exists with address, map, photo of the accessible entrance, and parking and toilet details.
- A direct phone number or email is given for visitors to confirm access before travelling.
- Accessible parking bays are marked and their access aisles are clear and unobstructed.
- Bays sit on the shortest accessible route to the accessible entrance, with a firm, slip-resistant surface and no surprise steps.
- The path from parking to entrance is wide enough and gently sloped; where a ramp is needed, it exists with handrails.
- Door clear width meets the minimum, thresholds are within limits, hardware is a lever or automatic, and opening force is low.
- Automatic doors work in powered and power-off mode; there is an accessible option alongside any revolving door.
- The entrance landing allows a wheelchair to turn and open the door, with a call button or clear way to summon staff.
- The desk has a lowered section with knee space and approach room, and nothing blocks it in front.
- Staff know how to offer help respectfully and how to serve someone who cannot easily reach the desk.
- The accessibility statement is less than a year old and there is a log of findings and fix deadlines.
Questions people ask
How can I check my website against WCAG without paying for a full audit?
Start with free checks: run a contrast tester, confirm every image has meaningful alt text, walk each page using only the keyboard, and listen to a page with a screen reader. That surfaces the most common failures. Where a duty applies — public-sector sites in the UK must meet WCAG 2.2 AA and public digital content in Russia references GOST R 52872-2019 — a specialist audit is normally the reliable route, but you can build a remediation plan yourself. Whatever method you choose, publish an accessibility statement and review it at least once a year.
How many accessible parking spaces do I need and where should they go?
The number depends on your jurisdiction and code. In the US, the 2010 ADA Standards scale the count to the total spaces in each lot (for example one space for a lot of 1–25, rising to about two percent above 500), and accessible spaces must sit on the shortest accessible route to an accessible entrance. In Russia, SP 59.13330.2020 sets a share of spaces and extra-wide dimensions, typically located within about 50–100 metres of the entrance. Always verify against the current official edition, and remember the space must include a clear, marked access aisle and enough overhead clearance where vans are expected.
What is the minimum accessible door width?
Under the 2010 ADA Standards a door opening must provide at least 32 inches of clear width, measured between the face of the door and the stop with the door open 90 degrees; openings more than 24 inches deep need 36 inches. In Russia, SP 59.13330.2020 expects door openings usable by wheelchair users in new and reconstructed buildings to have a clear width of roughly 0.9 m. Width alone is insufficient — also verify maneuvering clearance on each side, the threshold height, the opening force and the hardware type.
Does the whole reception desk have to be low?
No — a lowered section is enough, and dual-height counters are the standard solution. Under the 2010 ADA Standards a sales or service counter needs an accessible portion at least 36 inches long, no more than about 34–36 inches high, with knee and toe clearance so a wheelchair user can pull up close. The critical detail is that the lowered section stays clear: no boxes, stools or displays in front, and enough floor space to approach. Documents, card readers and signing surfaces should be reachable by a seated person.
Is publishing an accessibility statement mandatory?
For public bodies it usually is. In the UK, public-sector websites and apps must meet WCAG 2.2 AA and publish an accessibility statement that states whether the service is fully, partially or not compliant, explains why and tells users how to get alternatives and report problems — reviewed at least yearly. In Russia, state websites must meet accessibility requirements including GOST R 52872-2019, while physical venues follow the accessible-environment norms. For private businesses a statement is voluntary but valuable: it honestly describes the level of access and gives a contact, which reduces uncertainty for disabled visitors and builds trust.
Sources and further reading
Sources were checked when this page was generated. Confirm changing dates, rules and prices with the original publisher.
- Accessible Parking SpacesU.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov)
- ADA Standards: Chapter 4 – Accessible RoutesU.S. Access Board
- Make your website or app accessible and publish an accessibility statementGOV.UK (Central Digital and Data Office)
- Meet the requirements of equality and accessibility regulationsGOV.UK
- Model accessibility statementGOV.UK
- СП 59.13330.2020 «Доступность зданий и сооружений для маломобильных групп населения»Минстрой России (СП 59.13330.2020)
- Парковка для инвалидов и МГН. Доступная среда на автопарковкеТифлоцентр «Вертикаль»