Whenyou work in the interior design field, youre mainly focused on aesthetics. After all, its your job to furnish and decorate your clients spaces. But when youre hired to revamp a facility thats open to the public, you should consider more than just appearance. You should also consider accessibility and take a better approach to ADA-compliant design.
Hereswhy
Why Accessibility Should Be a Priority for Interior Design
EversincetheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA)wentintoeffectin1990,ithashadasignificantimpactonthewaybuildingsintheUnitedStatesaredesigned.UnderTitleIII,theADArequiresallpublicaccommodationstoprovideequalaccesstopeoplewithdisabilities.Ultimately,itsalawthatbusinessownersshouldavoidbreakingiftheydontwanttofacefinancialconsequences.
So,itmakessenseforyouasaninteriordesignertohaveafirmgraspofADA compliantdesign.Whenyourefamiliarwiththe2010ADAStandardsforAccessibleDesign,youknowwhatfeaturesarenecessaryforcompliance.Thatway,asyouupdateaclientsfacility,youcanalsohelpthemavoidpotentialfinesandlawsuits.
Butthatsnottheonlyreasonyoushouldprioritizeaccessibility.
ThefactisthatADA-compliantdesignisameansofremovingbarriersandprovidingaccesstoallindividualsanditsnotgoinganywhere.Althoughitcanbechallenging,itswellworthkeepingaccessibilitytopofmindandcomingupwithcreativesolutionstoimproveagivenspace.Indoingso,youcangiveyourclientsthechancetoserve customers with disabilitiesbetter.Plus,youcanstayaheadofthecurveanddemonstrateyourexpertiseinthoughtfuldesignthatbenefitseveryone.
5 Tips for Applying ADA-Compliant Design Principles
Foreveryprojectthatinvolvesmodifyingapublicspace,youwanttomakesuretheresultisnotonlyattractivebutalsofunctionalandsafe.ApplyingADA-compliantdesignprinciplesthatallowforequitableuseandminimalphysicaleffortcangoalongway.Tohelpyouout,weprovidedsometipsbelowonputtingtheseprinciplesintopractice.
1. Be Mindful of Clearance under Desks and Tables
AdequateclearanceiscrucialinADA-compliantdesign.Thatswhyyoushouldkeepthsinmindwhensourcingnewdesksandtablesforaclientsfacility.Theseareasshouldhaveenoughspaceunderneathtofitwheelchairscomfortablywithoutthetopsurfacebeingtoohigh.Otherwise,peoplewithdisabilitieswhousemobilityaidswillhavelimitedaccess.
PertheADA,tablesmustmeetthefollowingrequirements:
- They should be between 28 and 34 inches high.
- There should be at least 27 inches of clearance between the floor and the bottom of the table.
- Knee clearance should extend at least 19 inches under the table.
Ofcourse,plentyofproductsonthemarketfitthesedimensions.Additionally,adjustabledesksarebecomingmorepopular.So,itsimportanttodetermineeachclientsneedsandchoosethebestoptionforthem,theiremployees,andtheircustomers.
2. Aim for Hardware and Fixtures That Are Easy to Use
Hardwareandfixturestendtogooverlookedinpublicspaces.Butwhentheyrepoorlydesigned,theycanpreventthosewithdisabilitiesfromusingthem.So,ifyouretaskedwithupdatingaclientsspace,aimforeasy-to-useoptionswheneverpossible.
Hereareafewexamples:
- LightswitchesAlthoughflipswitchesareacceptable,push-platetypesareusuallythewaytogobecausetheyreeasiertouse.
- Doorknobs Knobs and handles that require wrist-twisting arent compliant. So, its best to opt for U-shaped pulls and lever-shaped handles.
- Faucets Faucets should be operated with no more than 5 pounds of force. There are plenty of options that meet this requirement, including touchless, lever, and cross handle.
- Cabinet drawer hardware U-shaped pulls are an excellent choice for cabinets and drawers, but levers and push-type mechanisms may also be used.
3. Make Signage Part of the Overall Flow
SignageisanessentialpartofADA-compliantdesign.Itallowseveryone,includingpeoplewithvisualimpairments,togettheinformationtheyneedeasily.So,whenyourerevampingaclientsspace,dontforgettoupdatetheirdisplaysaswell.
CertaintypesofsignagemustmeetADAsignspecifications,suchasthoseidentifyingpermanentroomsandcommonareas.Butthegoodnewsistheresalotofflexibilityintermsofhowtheylook.Infact,youcanandshouldmakesignagepartoftheoverallflowbysourcingcustom ADA signs compliantthathavecolors,textures,shapes,andfontsthatfitthespacewheretheyllbeinstalled.
4. Choose Smooth, Non-Trip Floor Surfaces
Whetheryoureupgradinganexistingbuildingordesigninganewonefromscratch,itsvitalthatyouchoosetherightflooring.Atrulyaccessiblespacemakesiteasyforthosewhousewheelchairsandothermobilityaidstomovearoundfreely.Smooth,non-tripfloorsurfacessuchaswood,laminate,andvinylarebest.
Someadditionaltipsareasfollows:
- In cases where carpet must be used, opt for a low-pile option thats easy to move over.
- Avoid soft floor surfaces such as cork or linoleum, which wheelchairs can scratch.
- Dont put fringed or plush area rugs in high-traffic spaces, as individuals may trip over them.
5. Opt for Soft, Low-Glare Lighting
Finally,whendecidinghowtoilluminateaclientsspace,gowithasoft,low-glareoptionwheneverpossible.Softlightingismorecomfortableforthosewithlowvision.Plus,reducingglarefromlightshelpsindividualsseemoreeasily.
TheADAdoesntoutlinespecificrequirementsforlightingbeyondtheplacementoffixtures.However,therearesomewaysyoucanimprovethelightinginaclientsspace.IntroducinggroundtrackLEDlightingalonghallwaysisapopularchoice.Thesamegoesforinstallingadjustablelightingthatcanbemadebrighterordimmerasneeded.
Takeaway
Nowadays,accessibilityissomethingyoucantaffordtooverlookwhenworkingonfacilitiesthatareopentothepublic.So,whenyourehiredtohelpdesignorremodelaclientsspace,makesuretoapplyADA-compliantdesignprincipleseverywhereyoucan.Itswellworththeeffort,andyourclientwillthankyouforit!
