Building accessibility: compliance requirements to anticipate now

By 2032, all buildings open to the public will have to meet new accessibility requirements. While these principles can already be integrated from the outset in the planning of new construction projects, existing buildings must also be brought into compliance. With this in mind, LSC360 is leveraging its full range of expertise.

Going to the doctor, entering a shop, or visiting the local municipal administration… Actions that are part of everyday life for most people can become challenging for people with disabilities. A single step, an entrance that is too narrow, or a counter that is too high can complicate — or even prevent — access to everyday services.

Accessibility: A New Legal Framework

To address these challenges within a broader inclusion strategy, the Luxembourgish State has decided to strengthen its legal framework. “With the law of 7 January 2022 relating to accessibility for all to places open to the public, public roads and collective residential buildings, the legislator sought to take a significant step forward,” explains Michel Heckel, accessibility specialist within the multidisciplinary engineering consultancy LSC360. “The new legislation clarifies accessibility requirements, both for new constructions and major renovation projects, but also for existing buildings, with retroactive effect. These buildings must notably be brought into compliance by 2032.”

“The law is primarily intended to eliminate discriminatory effects and guarantee equal access for all.”
Sarah Weidert, Director of the Expertise Division, LSC360

Ensuring Equal Access for Everyone

A wide range of structures are concerned, from public administrations and collective residential buildings to shops and cultural institutions. Many stakeholders must already begin to anticipate this deadline to adapt their infrastructure or organisational practices and respond to user diversity.

“The law is primarily intended to eliminate discriminatory effects and guarantee equal access for all,” explains Sarah Weidert, Director of the Expertise Division at LSC360. “The underlying idea is that disability does not reside in the individual, but rather in environments that create barriers for certain users. Accessibility, within an inclusive approach, must be designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities while also benefiting elderly people, parents with strollers, or individuals temporarily experiencing reduced mobility due to an injury, a cast, and so on.”

“But we must also consider signage, visual contrasts and tactile devices, which are indispensable for visually impaired people.”
Michel Heckel, Accessibility Specialist, Multidisciplinary Engineering Consultancy LSC360

Rethinking User Pathways

Based on this principle, the law requires all places open to the public to become compliant. “Contrary to some common misconceptions, accessibility is not limited to installing ramps. It affects the entire user journey, from public spaces, bus stops or accessible parking (PRM – Persons with Reduced Mobility), all the way to the service itself,” explains Sarah Weidert.

Facilitating access for everyone means taking numerous criteria into account. “While step-free access is essential, attention must also be paid to passage widths, slopes, the manoeuvring space required for wheelchairs and the height of equipment. But we must also consider signage, visual contrasts and tactile devices, which are indispensable for visually impaired people,” details Michel Heckel.

“We begin with an assessment to identify what complies with the legal requirements and what does not.”
Sarah Weidert, Director of the Expertise Division, LSC360

From Diagnosis to Action Plan

To support stakeholders in achieving compliance, LSC360 brings together a broad range of expertise. Compliance requires careful planning. It requires a detailed analysis of buildings and user needs, as well as a comprehensive understanding of technical, regulatory and budget constraints. This is precisely the approach developed by LSC360. “We begin with an assessment to identify what complies with the legal requirements and what does not,” explains Sarah Weidert. “The next challenge is to prioritise actions while taking into account both legal obligations and technical constraints.”

Thanks to its multidisciplinary approach, the engineering consultancy is able to assess a site as a whole, from external layouts to interior building uses, while integrating other dimensions such as safety, classified establishments and, more broadly, all applicable regulatory constraints. “This allows us to propose coherent and immediately implementable solutions,” adds Sarah Weidert.

“The law defines requirements, but it also provides for exemption possibilities, particularly for existing places open to the public.”
Michel Heckel, Accessibility Specialist, Multidisciplinary Engineering Consultancy LSC360

Possible Exemptions

Within the framework of the law’s implementation, a degree of flexibility is provided in order to take account of the specific constraints associated with existing buildings and to limit the impact of the required interventions. “The law defines requirements, but it also provides for exemption possibilities, particularly for existing places open to the public. Exemptions may be granted where it can be demonstrated that compliance is technically impossible, would create a disproportionate burden or would conflict with heritage protections,” explains Michel Heckel.

In this area too, LSC360 supports stakeholders in preparing exemption applications and justifying the chosen solutions. “New constructions falling within the scope of the aforementioned law, however, must incorporate these principles from the design phase onward,” adds Sarah Weidert.

Anticipating to Limit Costs and Avoid Penalties

Stakeholders need to remain vigilant in order to avoid penalties, particularly in the event of complaints. In this context, beyond the sole issue of regulatory compliance, making places open to the public accessible also forms part of a long-term transformation of how spaces are designed and used.

And although 2032 may seem far away, considering the scale of the adaptations that may be required, it is actually not that far off. The organisations concerned also have a strong interest in acting quickly if they wish to benefit from financial aid for compliance-related works — namely 50% of investments in construction and studies, capped at €24,000 — provided that an application is submitted before July 2028.

Planning ahead not only helps avoid significantly higher long-term costs but also immediately improves the user experience. Because ultimately, accessibility does not benefit only a minority: it improves comfort and quality of use for everyone.

Article published in Paperjam: https://paperjam.lu/article/accessibilite-des-batiments-une-mise-en-conformite-a-anticiper-des-maintenant