This week we talked about making facilities and programs fully accessible to anyone in our community, including those individuals with physical disabilities.
This lesson was difficult for me. I had a hard time feeling connected to what we are learning which isn't typical for me. Usually I find I have a personal and emotional connection but this week it seemed to be missing.
We had a case study this week that put us in charge of building a facility that was fully accessible. I will post what I learned below.
- How will all outside areas and entrances be fully accessible? The parking lot will need to have spaces close exclusively for people who have disabilities. These spaces will need to be larger to accommodate wheelchairs and other helpers. There will also need to be flat opening on the curb, and a ramp up to the door. This ramp will need to have a gradual enough incline to easily go up and down and will need to have hand rails. The doors to the entrance will need to be wide enough and will need to have an automatic option.
- How will each level and all rooms be fully accessible? Our facility will need to have an elevator option for those who cannot use stairs. All of the rooms will need to have doors that are wide enough. Another option is having helpers assigned to each level to assist with any transportation needs. The rooms will be labeled with signs that are easy to read along with a brail sign.
- How will services and service areas be fully accessible? Our service desk counter personal will all be trained to know how to communicate respectfully and efficiently with all people with or without disabilities. If funds allow, we will have some devices that will allow us to type back and forth with those people who are hard of hearing or deaf, and if not we will always have a pen and a piece of paper handy and ready to use. Brail copies of our programs will be available.
- How will the personal facilities (drinking fountains, restrooms, etc.) be fully accessible? Our locker rooms, restrooms, and drinking fountains will all be accessible to those with disabilities. Locker rooms will have wide entrances as well as personal that are able to direct and help anyone in need. The restrooms will have stalls exclusively for those with disabilities that will have hand rails, will be extra long and wide, and have dispensers close enough to reach but not in the way of moving. Our drinking fountains will be wall mounted with space underneath them so that wheelchairs can easily reach. They will also be multi-leveled to accommodate all heights and preferences.
- How will activities and activity areas be fully accessible? We will have screens in all of the rooms so that instructions can be written as well as heard over the speaker system. Instructors will be able to upload PowerPoint’s to assist their classes to the screens for all to see. We will also ask those who attend our classes if they have any input on how we can improve our classes. We will take that feedback and include it in our coming classes.
- How will emergency devices and exits be fully accessible? There will be signs, lights, and a speaker system in our facility. In times of emergency we will incorporate all three of them.
- How will you balance each of these needs within the allowable budget? How will you balance what you really would like to do with what will suffice? This is a big concern. We will use the budget we can to build the best facility as possible. The things that we cannot afford will need to be less high-tech. For example, I mentioned earlier that instead of having a fancy typing device at our front desk, a pen and paper would do. Instead of having automatic doors, you could just have the front desk person who will be able to open the door for those who need assistance. We could get the community involved to raise funds or cut costs. I would talk to contractors and builders and see if they would be willing to give us a small discount because we are trying to make our facilities as accessible as possible. Ultimately, we will be creative, ask for help from those who have disabilities to give us advice, and do the best we can with what we have.
- What types of individuals and experts will you consult and involve on your committee? I would contact those in the community who have disabilities and get them involved from the get go. I would also contact The American National Standards Institute, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines for further help.
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