Consider Going Beyond Accessibility
This week’s blog includes three considerations about planning for and creating a built environment for people with disabilities. In my personal life I’ve been an advocate for the disability community, but bringing what I’ve learned to my planning profession was long overdue. A few weeks ago I led a presentation titled “Beyond Accessibility” for the Women in Real Estate and Urban Planning group with thoughtful design experts who discussed their life experiences, work, and the positive outcomes of their work (the panelists included Sam Buehler from Pope Architects, Jens Vange from Alliance and Heidi Neumueller from Cuningham). A few outcomes of the conversation included:
Individuals with disabilities are the largest minority group in our nation and the size of this community is projected increase dramatically. Get ready for statistics…overall 26% of adults in the United States have some type of disability, which translates to approximately 61 million individuals. Here in Minnesota, one in ten individuals are over age 65 and 32% of this age cohort are living with a disability. By 2040, one in five individuals will be over age 65. With overall population growth, more individuals over the age of 65 and the higher probability of having a disability within that age cohort indicates we will have significantly more individuals in our community living with disabilities.
. Planning for and creating a built environment for the disability community benefits the greater population. Individuals with disabilities live, work, travel, and shop alongside family, friends, coworkers, business owners etc. who share the same spaces. When a family travels with a family member with a disability, the entire group will be utilizing an accessible space or challenged by a non-accessible space. Furthermore, people with disabilities are disproportionally likely to be living in poverty or be a person of color, so efforts to improve conditions for low income or other minority populations benefit from a focus on accessible spaces. And, when you plan, design and build for the disability community, often the outcome leads to an improved environment for everyone regardless of ability (just think of the ease of traveling with your wheeled suitcase).
. Beyond accessible, inclusive is best. In 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act provided groundbreaking civil right legislation that profoundly altered the opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in everyday life (things people take for granted like attending public school, voting, having a job, living independently, voting, etc). So many positive changes have occurred that provide access, but by thinking beyond basic access to minimize the barriers and obstacles creates an opportunity for independence and confidence for people with disabilities. Examples include non-slip flooring surfaces to avoid falls, and removing loud bathroom hand dryers in bathrooms that interfere with hearing aids. By planning for and creating a built environment for people with disabilities within the community, an inclusive culture is formed where so many more people feel welcome (haven’t we already learned that separate is not equal?).
- Ellison
Sources: US Census, American Community Survey 2019, State Demographic Center Minnesota Compass, and the Minnesotans with Disabilities: Demographic and Economic Characteristics, Minnesota State Demographic Center 2017