Eliminating physical barriers to access benefits everyone. These examples explain how to address issues and barriers that individuals with mobility and sensory impairments face.
Hallways, passageways and other routes must allow for wheelchair access.
Individuals with mobility impairments, including those using wheelchairs, require sufficient space to approach and open doors. Additionally, doors with significant resistance will be difficult to open for individuals with mobility impairments.
Toilet areas must allow for sufficient space to enter, navigate doorways, and maneuver within the room. Fixtures must be placed with accessibility in mind.
Objects that protrude into passageways can impede individuals with motor impairments and can be hazardous to individuals with visual impairments. Examples include shelves, drinking fountains and sculptures. People who are blind or with low vision sometimes travel along walls for orientation.
Accessible parking areas must be dispersed to enable people to park near as many accessible entrances as possible.
Classrooms should be inclusive spaces that allow for access and participation.
Many classrooms and group meeting spaces are technology-equipped. It is important to ensure that classroom AV system components like touchscreen/button user interfaces, projection screen switches, and laptop input ports that are mounted on lecterns, teaching stations, and walls should be reachable by a wide range of users, including individuals who use wheelchairs.