Article 32 of the Slovenian Building Act (GZ-1) stipulates that accommodation facilities such as hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and other facilities offering short-term accommodation with a capacity of 10 or more rooms must have 10% of their rooms accessible and functionally adapted for persons with disabilities.
Accessible accommodation rooms must be designed to enable independent, safe, and comfortable use by persons with disabilities. The entire space must be designed to allow unobstructed movement, especially for persons in wheelchairs.
The entrance door to the room should be of sufficient width (at least 850 mm, preferably 900 mm), clearly visible and appropriately marked so that persons with visual impairments can easily find their way to the room. You can read more about the appropriate equipment and marking of doors in this article. The door should have an easy-to-use locking and unlocking system, installed at an appropriate height and clearly visible.
Inside the room, the passageways between the equipment must be at least 800 mm wide. In areas where a wheelchair needs to turn 90° or 180° or access equipment head-on (e.g., a wardrobe, table), there must be an empty space at least 1500 mm wide, for example, along the bed and at its foot. No doors in the room should obstruct the maneuvering space.
The accessible room should be a double room, with each bed at least 1000 mm wide and 2000 mm long. Where this is not possible and the room is a single room, the bed should be at least 1500 mm wide and 2000 mm long. There should be at least 200 mm of free space under the bed for the use of a lift, and the height of the mattress should be between 450 and 500 mm, allowing for optimal transfer of a person from a wheelchair to the bed.
If there is a table in the room, it should be designed to allow front access for wheelchair users; there should be at least 700 mm of free space underneath it and at least 900 mm between the legs.
It is essential that the bathroom is also suitably adapted, whether it is part of an individual room or a shared bathroom (e.g., in hostels). There must be sufficient maneuvering space in the bathroom (at least 1500 x 1500 mm). The shower must be threshold-free, equipped with grab bars and an accessible shower head, and there must be sufficient space next to it to transfer to a shower chair or wheelchair. The toilet must be equipped with grab bars and access to it must be appropriately designed. The sink and tap must be accessible from a wheelchair. Other equipment, such as dispensers, mirrors, hangers, storage surfaces, and hair dryers, should be within reach.
It is recommended that all equipment in the room be movable and can be arranged according to the needs of guests. It should be designed in colors that contrast with the walls and floors to facilitate orientation for visually impaired persons. If carpets or floor coverings are installed in the room, they should be such that they do not obstruct wheelchair access or cause tripping. Light switches should be installed at a height of 800 to 1100 mm from the floor so that they are easily accessible to wheelchair users.
A key element in ensuring the safety of guests with disabilities is an appropriate hazard warning and evacuation system, as well as a system for calling for help in the bathroom. It is particularly important for people with visual or hearing impairments that the hazard system is equipped with an audible and visual indicator. An induction loop should also be installed in the accommodation room to facilitate communication with persons who use hearing aids.