Access Guide
About
- There is a campus parking lot available.
- The name of the nearest parking lot is Whittier Lot.
- View information on Swarthmore College Parking Lots (opens new tab) .
- Student permit parking is available in the Cunningham South Lot.
View information about parking on campus
View information about visitor parking. - Pearson Hall is a medium-sized rectangular building with 3 floors. Houses the educational studies, linguistics, and religion departments, as well as the Business Office and Human Resources.
- There is 1 elevator and 1 stairway within the building.
- The floor names are signed as ground, first, and second.
Getting Inside
- The approach to the building is step-free via slopes of varying degrees.
- There is step-free level access to all areas of the building, via elevator.
- Pearson Hall has 7 entrances. The accessible entrance - PR-6 provides step-free level access to the ground floor.
- The entrances are signed as "Pearson Hall - PR-1", "Pearson Hall - PR-2", "Pearson Hall - PR-3", "PR-6", and "Pearson Hall - PR-7".
The first floor rear entrance on the external stairway is signed as "Pearson Hall".
The second floor rear entrance on the external stairway is unsigned. - The accessible entrance - PR-6 gives direct access to the ground floor of the building, from which there is step-free level access through the building to the elevator. This in turn provides step-free level access to the first and second floors of the building.
- The PR-1 entrance provides stepped access to the first floor of the building, via 24 steps, followed by a single, manual door.
The PR-2 entrance provides stepped access to the first floor of the building, via 16 steps, followed by a single, manual door.
The PR-3 entrance provides step-free access (via a ramp) to a mezzanine level on the stairway between the ground floor and the first floor. There are 7 steps down to the ground floor and 11 steps up to the first floor from here. There is a single, manual door at this entrance.
The first floor rear entrance on the external stairway provides stepped access to the first floor of the building, via 9 steps up from ground level, followed by a single, manual door.
The second floor rear entrance on the external stairway provides stepped access to the second floor of the building, via 31 steps up from ground level, followed by a single, manual door.
The PR-6 entrance provides step-free level access to the ground floor of the building, via a single, manual door, followed by a second set of double, automatic doors (with one door locked). The second set of doors at this entrance is the same second set of doors used by the PR-7 entrance.
Getting Around
- There is step-free level access throughout the building on all floors, via elevator.
- Floor surfaces along circulation routes consist predominantly of low pile carpet, with some shiny vinyl flooring on the stairway.
- There are resting areas in circulation and lobby areas throughout the building, with a mixture of seating.
- Wayfinding signage and floor plans are not provided in this building; however all rooms and facilities have clear numbered, written text and Braille signage by their doors.
- There is not a designated safe or quiet space.
Restrooms and Changing Facilities Available
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Single-occupant Restrooms with Accessibility Features
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- There are 4 single-occupant restrooms with accessibility features.
- The single-occupant restrooms with accessibility features are located on the ground floor, straight ahead along the corridor and to the right at the elevator as you enter the building via the accessible entrance - PR-7; and on the first and second floors, straight ahead and immediately on the left as you exit the elevator.
- The transfer space within the single-occupant restrooms with accessibility features varies between left hand transfer and right hand transfer.
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Standard Restrooms
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- Step-free gender inclusive restrooms are located on the garden level.
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Shower Facilities
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- All restrooms within this building are single-occupant restrooms with accessibility features.
Entrance (Accessible Entrance - PR-7)
- This entrance is located to the left hand side of the building, leading in from the John W. Nason Garden.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- The entrance area is clearly signed.
- There is not a canopy or recess that provides weather protection at the entrance.
- There is a key fob/card reader at a height of 3ft 9in (115cm).
- There is a single automatic door at this entrance.
- The door opens towards you.
- There is a push plate/sensor at a height of 3ft 1in (94cm).
- The door has a lever handle.
- The width of the opening is 3ft 3in (98cm).
- There is a squared threshold (more than 1/2in) at the opening.
- The door has a high visual contrast.
- There is a second set of double automatic doors; however, one door is locked.
- The locked door can be opened on request .
- The second set of doors opens towards you.
- There is a push plate/sensor at a height of 3ft 9in (114cm).
- The doors have pull handles.
- The width of the opening is 3ft 3in (100cm).
- The doors have a high visual contrast.
- The key card reader and push-pad for the first set of doors are located adjacent to the PR-6 entrance door.
These two entrances share the second set of doors here.
Elevator
- The elevator is located straight ahead as you enter the building via the accessible entrance - PR-7.
- The elevator surveyed is approximately 27yd 1ft (25m) from the accessible entrance - PR-7 (second set of doors).
- The most accessible route to the elevator has step-free level access.
- The floors which are accessible by this elevator are the ground floor, first floor and second floor.
- The elevator has a turning space of 30in x 48in (760mm x 1220mm) in front of it.
- The external elevator control buttons have tactile markings and a medium visual contrast.
- All of the external elevator controls are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user (between 15in - 48in (380mm - 1220mm)).
- The weight limit for the elevator is 2100 lb.
- The elevator door has a low visual contrast.
- The elevator door opening width is 2ft 11in (90cm).
- The internal dimensions of the elevator are 5ft 9in width x 4ft 4in depth (175cm x 131cm).
- The internal elevator control buttons have tactile markings, Braille markings and a high visual contrast.
- All of the internal elevator controls are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user (between 15in - 48in (380mm - 1220mm)).
- Internally the elevator has: a visual floor indicator and railings.
- Lighting levels were low at the time of the survey.
Stairway
- The stairway surveyed is located straight ahead as you enter the building via the accessible entrance - PR-7.
- There is a single manual door to access the stairwell.
- The floors which are accessible by stairway are the ground floor, first floor and second floor.
- There are 20+ steps between floors.
- There are handrails on both sides.
- The handrails are easy to grip.
- The height of the handrails is 2ft 10in (86cm).
- The handrails cover the flight of stairs throughout its length.
- The handrails extend horizontally beyond the first and last step.
- The steps are unmarked.
- The height of the highest step is 7in (18cm).
- The minimum tread depth is 11in (29cm).
- Lighting levels vary due to the presence of large glass panels/windows.
Restroom with Accessibility Features (Ground Floor - Right Hand Transfer)
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Location and Access
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- The restroom surveyed is a single-occupant restroom.
- The restroom surveyed is located on the ground floor, straight ahead along the corridor and to the right at the elevator as you enter the building via the accessible entrance - PR-7.
- The restroom surveyed is approximately 27yd 1ft (25m) from the accessible entrance - PR-7 (second set of doors).
- The most accessible route to the restroom has step-free level access.
- There is step-free level access into the restroom.
- There is Braille, tactile, pictorial and written text signage on or near the restroom door.
- The door into the restroom opens inwards and has a high visual contrast.
- The door requires effort to open.
- The door has a lever handle.
- The width of the restroom door opening is 2ft 9in (83cm).
- The door has a twist lock.
- Internally the door has a high visual contrast.
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Dimensions and Features
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- The overall dimensions are 7ft 3in x 8ft 3in (220cm x 252cm).
- The turning space dimensions are 7ft 3in x 5ft 12in (220cm x 182cm).
- There is a lateral transfer space to the right of the toilet as you look at it; however, it is obstructed.
- The lateral transfer space is 5ft 2in (158cm) (from the side of the toilet bowl to the wall).
- There is a lever flush on the non-transfer side.
- There is a horizontal grab bar on the rear wall and on the side wall.
- The horizontal grab bars have a high visual contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The toilet seat is 1ft 6in (45cm) from the floor.
- The toilet seat has a low visual contrast.
- There is a wall-mounted toilet paper dispenser that can be easily reached when seated on the toilet.
- The toilet paper dispenser has a high visual contrast.
- The toilet paper dispenser is 1ft 8in (52cm) from the floor.
- The sink is 2ft 10in (87cm) from the floor.
- The area underneath the sink is unobstructed .
- The sink faucet type is lever-style mixer.
- There is a wall-mounted soap dispenser.
- The soap dispenser has a high visual contrast.
- The soap dispenser is 3ft 4in (101cm) from the floor.
- There is a wall-mounted paper towel dispenser.
- The paper towel dispenser has a high visual contrast.
- The paper towel dispenser is 3ft 7in (108cm) from the floor.
- There is not a hand dryer.
- There is a mirror above the sink/counter top; however, its bottom edge is not within 40in (1000mm) maximum from the finish floor.
- There is an unobstructed shelf.
- The shelf is at a recommended height (within 48in - 1220mm from the floor).
- The stall has a wastebasket and a sanitary products receptacle.
- There are no coat hooks.
- There is a high visual contrast between the walls and floor.
- Lighting levels were low at the time of the survey.
- The clear lateral transfer space which is unobstructed by the sink has a width of 2ft 11in (90cm).