Did you know that 28%
of the American population is disabled, With 12% having mobility issues?
Despite this, many public spaces in the US have inadequate accommodations for
disabled people.
Why
am I saying public spaces? Title III of the American’s Disability Act prohibits
discrimination on the basis of disability in the activities of places of public
accommodations. These could range from your local grocery store to your
workplace. While these people are legally required to make their places ADA
compliant, they often fall short. Letting sidewalks wither away, having ramps
that are difficult to navigate, having stalls that don’t allow for easy
wheelchair access, and sometimes requiring people to ASK for these
accommodations.
Crazy, right? Expect the wheelchair
user to waltz right in and ask to put a ramp outside. I wasn’t joking about the
stalls, either.
Notice a slight
issue? The door opens inward, making it extremely difficult to shut.
This barely provides a wheelchair the space to maneuver around. I’m sure you
all have seen the state of some sidewalks out in PA to know that a wheelchair
could never comfortably go over the cracks and holes in the road.
Ok great, how do
we make these places more accessible?
KEEP DISABLED
PEOPLE IN MIND! The big issue with a lot of designers is that they don’t
usually have disabled people at the forefront of their mind besides the
mandatory ADA compliant stalls and ramps. However, something can be “ADA
approved” and still suck. When you notice that something isn’t quite right, file a complaint at their site.
Remember, you can become disabled at any time. You can fall down a ladder, or even down the stairs. You can be involved in a major car accident; you can even suffer a stroke and end up paralyzed. Life isn’t fair, but that doesn’t mean your public spaces shouldn’t be either.
No comments:
Post a Comment