The Guidance

Information

Before someone arrives at a charging point, they may want to find out what is available and choose one that suits their needs.

Information about charging points is important to help people choose a suitable one before they set off. This can be essential for disabled people who may have accessibility needs around parking, charging and nearby amenities, on top of the usual considerations such as charger type and speed, and eligibility to use a particular brand of charger.

Without easy access to this information, disabled people and those who travel with them can spend unnecessary time and effort looking for suitable charging points.

“I hate it when I get to a car park entrance and it takes me ages to find the charge points”

Having this information can help disabled people and others to have confidence that they will be able to use a particular charging point. This can also help reduce concerns about having enough battery to reach their destination (known as “range anxiety”).

Signage at the charging point

Signage at the charging point should tell the user some key information about the charging point in a suitable format. Make it clear to legitimately parked charging customers, as well as those who should not be there, how to avoid getting a fine or a parking ticket.

Format and visibility, positioning and information on the signage should all be considered. Detailed information can be found in pages 10-12 on the Guidance PDF.

Space at the sides, front and back of a vehicle

The space around a vehicle can enable or limit access to a charging unit. While you should refer to PAS 1899:2022 for specific dimensions, here we tell you what space people need and why.

Ensure full door opening for easy entry/exit, especially for those with reduced mobility or using ramps/lifts. Some users need access to both sides simultaneously.
“I look for a wide enough space so I can get my door fully open, as I have a bit of trouble getting in and out of the car”

Avoid parking too close to kerbs, as it can hinder safe transfers to the pavement.
“I have to park my car away from the kerb so I can stand between the car and the pavement – then my passenger is right in the traffic flow”

Provide protected space at both ends for charging access and wheelchair/boot use. Clearly mark these areas to prevent obstruction.
“I look for a wide enough space so I can get my door fully open, as I have a bit of trouble getting in and out of the car”

Provide protected space at both ends for charging access and wheelchair/boot use. Clearly mark these areas to prevent obstruction.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

Larger Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) may require extra space around them for ramps and lifts (see our page on adapted vehicles for disabled people).

Some people may need specific charging point provision for larger vehicles, which could include making use of void space on the end of a row of spaces. Refer to PAS 1899:2022 for detailed space requirements.

Charging unit position and location

The way a charging unit is positioned, and the location of a charge point in relation to its surroundings, can affect the user’s charging experience.

Kerbs and level changes
Ensure full door opening for easy entry/exit, especially for those with reduced mobility or using ramps/lifts. Some users need access to both sides simultaneously.

Obstructions at the charge point
Protective Measures: Position bollards or plinths so they don’t block access to any part of the charging unit; consider alternatives if needed.

Shelter and lighting
Consider providing shelter over the charging unit to protect people from hot or wet weather. Provide lighting that illuminates the usable parts of the charging unit.

Nearby amenities
People may need or want to be close to shops, toilets, cafes or other amenities while they charge their vehicle.

Ground conditions & shrubbery
Level, smooth ground around the charging unit is important because people with mobility issues, whether walking or wheeling, may find sloping ground and uneven ground such as gravel, potholes or mud difficult or impossible to move around on, and they may be more likely than other people to trip or fall. untrimmed shrubs and bushes can make charging unpleasant or impossible for some people, particularly in wet weather.

Once the charging unit has been installed in a suitable setting, people need to be able to see, reach and use every part of it.

See the features

People should be able to see and recognise each feature easily. Well-designed labelling can help to make the parts of the unit easily recognisable. Where screens are used, make sure that they can be seen from seated and standing positions and are visible even in bright conditions.

“I like not needing my reading glasses to see the screen”

Remember that someone using the charging point may not be the driver, so do not assume that the user will have good enough vision to drive. Equally, drivers who need reading glasses that are not required for driving may not have these with them.

Combining screen tilt with the right screen height can make the screen accessible to more people – see PAS 1899:2022 for more about screen height and tilt.

Reach the features

All parts of the unit must be reachable by standing and seated users. Some people cannot extend their arms fully when reaching because of reduced strength, pain or fatigue, or their use of walking aids.

One easy mistake to make is to design all of the elements of the unit to be at the correct heights and then to install the charging unit up on a kerb or concrete plinth so that the features are then too high to reach. Additionally, units that are set too far back on a kerb can cause similar problems.

Use the features

Actively using parts of the charging unit can involve holding a position (to touch a screen in a controlled way or use a fine grip to hold a contactless payment card against a payment pad) or supporting a weight for a short time (when holding a connector).

This can be difficult for some people, so some proposed maximum forces needed to use some parts of public charging points are provided in PAS 1899:2022.

Other people may choose to let go of a walking aid such as a walking stick or crutch when using the charging unit, so consider providing somewhere to support those.

Make the charging process as simple as possible. Consider removing any unnecessary steps, and make sure that people can easily understand what is happening and what they need to do.

Start charging

Make the set up and start of charging as simple as possible. Remove unnecessary steps or automate them to save the user time and effort.

Accessing the set up process

Ideally do not make the system app-only, since smartphones can be inaccessible for some people despite the widely available range of accessibility features.

“I’d like to just tap a payment card onto the charger and go! I don’t want the faff of using an app and an interface.”

Stop charging

Finishing charging should be another simple step. One common issue raised in our research is that charging connectors can be locked into a vehicle’s socket during charging, and need to be released by the charging unit before the connector can be pulled out.

“Sometimes I can’t tell if the connector is too stiff to pull out, or if it is still locked into the vehicle.”

Pay for charging

The payment process should be simple and, ideally, automated.

“It is frustrating if you go to a new charging point, download a new app, pay £5 just to access the charger, then find out the charger isn’t working.”

The use of contactless payment cards can be a simple approach that allows both charging scheme members (who have signed up to use certain brands of charging points), and contactless bank card holders, to pay for charging in a single action without the need to log in.

Information and instructions

Once you have made sure that your charging process is as simple and short as possible, make sure you give clear information and instructions to the user. Consider putting a visual summary of the steps involved on the charging point’s signage to provide reassurance as people arrive.

Visual instructions, including in a smartphone app, should have clear layout, good contrast and large enough information to be read from the appropriate distance, following best practice in information design. When writing text instructions, consider that not everyone will have English as a first language, or be literate, so use symbols alongside text as an additional format.

Step-by-step instructions before, during and after charging can make the charging experience simple and reassuring for new and returning users.

Feedback to the user

Provide clear feedback throughout the charging process, so that the user can be sure of what is currently happening and whether their actions have had the intended effect. Avoid the need for someone to say “Did that work?” or “What am I meant to do now?”, at any point in the charging process.

1) Physical feedback: Reinforce physical actions by a click or a sound and a visual (written or symbol) confirmation that the action was successful; however, vibration is not recommended. Feedback is important is when the person comes to unplug the cable at the end of charging, when the connector has been locked into the vehicle during charging.
2) Visual feedback: If there are steps in the process which involve the user waiting for something to happen (e.g. a payment being processed, or a charging unit doing some internal checks before starting to charge), make this clear. Coloured status lights, moving patterns, illuminated words could be used. Ideally enable someone to see whether the unit is available from a distance as they approach it before parking.

Provide information during charging, so that the person can stay informed about things like cost and charging speed, as well as whether charging is successfully happening. Displaying the battery level overhead on a rapid charging unit can help people to know their battery level at a glance and to feel less under pressure from other motorists to move their vehicle while it is charging.

Providing customer support

Sometimes the charging process does not go as expected: perhaps the charging unit is faulty, or there is an issue with payment. If charging cannot be carried out successfully, the user will need a way to seek help.

Consider how you can provide reliable and responsive support for disabled people if things do not go to plan, which does not rely solely on a telephone support line. Could (EV trained) on-site staff be able to help if the charging point is near some amenities?

Further guidance on ‘Start, stop & paying for charging’ can be found on pages 28-37 in the full guidance.

Connectors on tethered cables

Tethered cables attached to rapid charging units can be heavy and hard to manage. Provide a handle that can be held in different ways, using one or two hands without relying on strength or dexterity.

The connector needs to be removed from and returned to the charging unit easily, without the need for precise hand actions, and also inserted into and pulled out of the charging socket on the vehicle.

Connectors on untethered cables

Where a user needs to provide their own cable, the connectors at both ends of the charging cable should be easy to use. If the connectors on the ends of the cable look similar, think about labelling them clearly to save the user time.

Further charging connector information can be found on page 38 of the full guidance.

Handling charging cables can be one of the most inaccessible aspects of charging for disabled people.

Cables attached to charging units

‘Tethered’ cables for high power rapid charging are typically thick, heavy and stiff, and can be hard to handle.

“I’m not very strong and it’s hard to drag the long cable and plug it in.”

Consider the cable weight for people with reduced strength. This can be done by supporting the cable in different ways, making it retractable, or reducing the length of the cable. See PAS 1899:2022 for more information about cable weight.

Cable stiffness can cause problems turning the connector towards the vehicle’s socket, especially in a small space, as the bend radius required is large. Cables should be flexible enough to enable the user to move and position the connector where they need it, including plugging it into sockets that are at different heights and locations on vehicles.

Portable cables

”Untethered” cables (owned by the user) can be hard to manage. While this project did not focus on users’ own cables, people shared some useful insights about the challenges that these can bring.

Reducing the weight of the cable could be useful for anyone with limited strength or stamina, as cables are often stored in a car boot and carried to the charging unit.

Holding and carrying the cables without getting your hands or clothing dirty can be a challenge for people who use both hands to propel a wheelchair or need to hold a walking stick. Possible solutions could include adding handles to help manage the cable, reducing the cable length needed by rearranging the space at the charging unit, or providing ways of supporting the cable.

Untethered cables need to have usable connectors on each end. See our page about connectors for more information about this.

Further information about Connectors can be on pages 40-42 in the full guidance.

Sockets on charging units can be hard to use for many disabled people, and for some, completely inaccessible.

Socket position

All users should be able to see, reach and use sockets easily.

• See: sockets should be clearly visible from wherever the user approaches the charging unit, and ideally has good contrast with its surroundings
• Reach: the user should be able to reach the socket comfortably by reaching forwards or sideways from a standing or seated position.
• Use: the socket should not be too high or low for seated or standing users to reach and use – there are socket heights that can work for both groups, see PAS 1899:2022 for details.

Socket covers

Charging points are usually outdoors and their sockets need to be protected from water and dirt. However, the covers used to protect the sockets can make them less accessible for some people. If a socket cover is needed, make sure the user can open it easily and insert a connector using one hand.

Further information about Sockets can be found on pages 44-45 on the full guidance.