Elevators that comply with NEN-EN 81-70 guarantee accessibility for everyone. Also for people with disabilities. The standard determines the cabin dimensions and interior accessories that facilitate access for people with disabilities. Now that there is a compromise on the contrast indications on the operating panel, publication is expected in the spring of 2018.
Improvements
The publication and harmonization of the new EN 81-70 matters because the new EN 81-70 contains important improvements with respect to the existing version (EN 81-70: 2003). This concerns, among other things, the addition of contrast requirements, extended door widths, a different car type, clarification of the use of handrail(s) in the car, the improvement of controls, indications, and the call control in elevator groups.
Compromise
Within CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, partner organization ANEC objected and appealed against the publication of EN 81-70 because they felt that the new version of the EN 81-70 did not place sufficient demands on the LRV (Light Reflectance Value) for the active parts of push buttons on the control panel. However, ANEC could agree with a proposal for an interim solution so that nothing now stands in the way of the publication of the standard. It has been agreed that an investigation will be started immediately with regard to the required LRV value and a new work item for EN 81-70 will be adopted to implement the results of the research.