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Accessible Procurement Toolkit (APT)

Wheelchair Viewing Positions

1. Is there enough space for a wheelchair?

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A discontented man in a wheelchair is sitting at the far edge of a table in a meeting room that has not provided space for a wheelchair.

A discontented man in a wheelchair is sitting at the far edge of a table in a meeting room that has not provided space for a wheelchair.


Meeting rooms and training areas need to include a space large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. This is illustrated with an image of a discontented man in a wheelchair sitting at the far edge of a table in a meeting room that has not provided enough space. He is seated at the far corner of the table, and has only a very small table space in front of him on his right.


2. Can someone in a wheelchair see clearly?

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A woman in a wheelchair is peering out from behind a pillar in a lecture hall to try and see the speaker at the front of the room.

A woman in a wheelchair is peering out from behind a pillar in a lecture hall to try and see the speaker at the front of the room.


Wheelchair seating areas in meeting rooms, lecture halls, and training facilities need to provide an equally good view for people in wheelchairs. This is illustrated with an image of a lecture hall full of people listening to a speaker at a podium at the front of the room. A woman in a wheelchair is seated behind a pillar at the back of the hall and is trying to peer out from behind the pillar to get a glimpse of the speaker.


3. Can someone in a wheelchair get out in an emergency?

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A panicked man in a wheelchair is in a meeting room where a fire has broken out and the emergency exit is at the top of a flight of stairs.

A panicked man in a wheelchair is in a meeting room where a fire has broken out and the emergency exit is at the top of a flight of stairs.


People in wheelchairs must be able to exit meeting and training rooms in an emergency. This is illustrated with an image of a panicked man in a wheelchair sitting in a meeting room. A fire alarm is ringing on the wall behind him and the window at the back of the room is filled with flames. The man in the wheelchair is desperately looking up towards the inaccessible emergency exit at the top of a flight of stairs in the far corner of the room.

(Content and illustration: Neil Squire Society)

The standard this example illustrates:

CSA Barrier Free Design CSA 8.2
Each wheelchair viewing position shall be a clear, level ground or floor area of at least 850 x 1200 mm. (Wheelchair seating areas should adjoin the accessible route and be adjacent to the means of egress in the case of emergency. Viewing areas should be located to provide lines of sight comparable to those for all viewing areas.)

Products to which this standard may apply: