Reach & stretch

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Overview | Understanding R & S | R & S functions | Env. context | Design guidance | Pop. stats. (2)

Design Guidance

  • Provide the option to operate a product by either reaching out the left or right arm, and try to avoid requiring both arms to be reached out at the same time
  • Ensure that products or services requiring public access are able to cope with the range of heights that people can reach to, including those in wheelchairs
  • Avoid requiring users to reach above their head, where possible, and note that the ability to exert forces will be greatly diminished when the arms are in this position
  • Consult ergonomic data sources such as Tilley (2002) Tilley AR (2002) The Measure of Man and Woman, John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA. ISBN 0-471-09955-4 to help set the dimensions of products and environments
A photo showing two cash machines at different heights, and two adjustable chairs at different heights.

A variety of heights can account for the needs of different users

A person reaches under a desk to reach a plug socket, compared to a person reaching above the desk.

Providing plug sockets above desks makes them significantly easier to reach