In the past, efforts to accommodate handicappers very much focused on the means of getting wheelchair-users to a building entry. In time, this was expanded to looking at some degree of wheelchair-user use of interior facilities. Here, this was to be addressed via the provision of certain separate, special, items or features. That is why the banner of these efforts came to read "Accessibility" and the standards thereof came to be called "Barrier-Free Design." The idea wasto remove barriers to wheelchair-user access to and use of a building or facility. As a result the international convention on rehabilitation adopted a graphic symbol depicting a wheelchair as the international symbol of accessibility.
This concept and effort had numerous and obvious flaws and shortcomings. First, it assumed "If a wheelchair user can use it, anybody can." Obviously this held little or no truth for the blind, deaf, and others. Too, with its focus on access, it ran directly contrary to the purpose and structure of construction standards and codes which focus on getting people out of a building, especially in an emergency or panic situation, ala fire. But one of the most damning aspects of "Barrier Free Design" was the fact that it derived from a British model that was developed after WWII. A model geared mostly to reconstruction, not new construction, and a driving philosophy of providing facilities for the war disabled in as obvious a manner as possible in order to perpetually remind people of the human carnage of war.
Obviously, that model was unrelated to and unsuitable for the situation in our several States. Here, we were in the midst of a building boom. New construction far and away outstepped the pace of reconstruction. The States had not experienced the carnage of massive strategic bombing and the devastation of a modern land war had not touched the "Great 48."
Too, as the advances of post WWII and post Korean War rehabilitation began to succeed in turning disabilities into mere handicaps, it was inevitable that rehabilitants themselves would take up the effort to improve the design of the built environment in their own regard. And, with the civil rights movement, there came a clear and pervasive recognition and rejection of the stigma that attends separate facilities--even if 'special' and, in this case, intended to help 'special' people.
So, for the American scene, a new approach and effort was needed and did emerge. Originated right here at MSU in the early 1970's, "Environmental Design" is now called "Universal Design."
It is based on the idea of "design balance," a balancing of all design factors, including ergonomics or anthropometrics of postrehabilitants--now identified as 'handicappers' :competent regardless of handicap.
This accommodation guide is intended to place at the individuals disposal meaningful and useful information that directly relates to specific handicapper characteristics, thus avoiding the oft- used, simple, but impersonal and misleading, 'accessible-inaccessible' format. The barriers specified here were taken from the MSU Transition Plan. That plan was developed with handicapper participation and identifies what barriers exist to Program Accessibility for a diversity of handicappers.
ACCESSIBLE -- Refers to minimal compliance with the design requirements for approach and entry of a facility by handicappers.
ACCESSIBLE PROGRAM -- Refers to a program, when viewed in its entirety, that is READILY accessible to AND USABLE BY handicappers.
ACCOMMODATING -- Describes a facility that goes beyond minimal design requirements for approach, entry AND internal usability by handicappers; that is, a facility which includes ALL SEASON ACCESSIBILITY, AUTOMATED ENTRY DOOR (S), MAGNETIC HOLD OPENS ON FIRE DOORS IN INTERIOR PASSAGEWAYS, ENHANCED elevatorPROVISIONS or a new elevator if programmatically necessary, wheelchair lifts where needed, accessible toiletrooms at one location in the building, accessible drinking fountains on each floor, and campus and/or public telephone(s) that are conveniently available to AND USABLE BY handicappers.
FACILITY -- All or any portion of a building, structure, equipment, road, walkway, parking lot, or other real or personal property or interest in such property. (Part 104, Subpart A, Sec. 104.3.) For purposes of the present document, any element of the built environment that houses a program or activity.
(HANDICAPPER -- A person whose physical characteristics have a particular relationship to that person's ability to be self-reliant in the person's movement throughout and use of the built environment. MCA 230/1972)
PROGRAM -- An organized activity or operation (or a coherent set of activities or operations) conducted by a unit (or in certain cases by more than one) defined by specific purposes or objectives, staffed by persons explicitly associated with it, and supported by an identifiable budget. A program can exist at any of several levels of the university, it can be small and specific, or large and comprehensive. For example, an "academic program" might be a group of courses, a particular degree program, an interdisciplinary program, a curriculum, or the entire academic program of a department or even a college.
USER-FRIENDLY -- Refers to a facility exceeding specific design or technical requirements with regard to interior circulation, manipulation, or use by handicappers.
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