Universal Access & Design Benefits Everyone

I love it when I visit public places like an airport or a college campus that are built to be accessible to anyone. Making a place accessible for all is truly the most welcoming way to design a space. Yes, I have a physical disability which puts accessibility high on my priority list, but have you ever thought about how this principle might help others without disabilities?

How about a woman who is pregnant, or has a stroller who could benefit from a ramp, rather than having to deal with steps? Or what about color-coded floors that help us navigate buildings or remember where we parked in a parking garage?

The Main Street Campus of Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley (GESMV) is specially designed using the principle of Universal Design, which is an architectural and engineering approach that ensures buildings are inherently accessible without later modifications.

One example of this is what we call “the helix”. The helix is a circular ramp that connects to each floor of our building. It is wide enough for me and a friend to walk or roll side by side and keep talking. If you want to take the elevator, a secondary set of control buttons have been placed at a lower level so I can reach them easily while on my scooter.

Universal access sounds so simple but it means so much. I could go on and on about how I love about the design of the our Main Street Campus, but my co-worker Rachel is very interested in the unique features too. Hear her point of view as the newest member of the Marketing Team! - Shari

Hi! I’m Rachel, the new Social Media Specialist at GESMV. It’s nice to make my first introduction to Shari’s “blog nation”!

I don't personally have a diagnosed disability. If you're like me, you might not think in terms of accessibility until you're with a friend, loved one, or coworker who does have a disability and observe them as they try to navigate the same space. I’ve only been with GESMV for about a month, but already, my eyes have been opened to whole new world of accessibility.

The GESMV Main Street Campus has such unique accessibility features built in that you barely notice. And that's the point: to seamlessly make our building easily accessible to all people, together. Our building's main traffic areas are universally accessible. You almost have to go out of your way to use the stairs!

For example, if I wanted to share a walk with a coworker who had limited vision, we could walk side by side easily in our building. That’s because intentional changes have been made to the carpet color and texture at key transition points. They serve as indicators for halls, doors, and turns, making it easy for my friend to navigate the space independently.

There are also countless automatic doors throughout the building. This is helpful for someone using a mobility device, but it also comes in handy for someone without a disability trying to balance a phone, a water bottle, a bag, a coffee cup, etc. and could use an extra hand to open a door.

My biggest takeaway from experiencing the universal design of our building is that two people with different abilities can move around our building together, equally, and without awkward situations or needing a different route. Accessibility is welcoming and the best way to serve every person who enters our building. Whether it’s a mom with a stroller, someone who has low or limited vision, someone whose knees ache even if they're only 35, or someone who needs to open the door with their hands full. I love that this throughtful design approach is helpful to everyone. - Rachel

As you can see, Rachel and I love the GESMV Main St. Campus and its cool universal access features. Hopefully, one day universal access will become the standard practice for all new buildings. Interested in learning more? We would love for you to come visit and take a guided tour! Contact our PR Manager, Amber Hargett to schedule a visit by emailing a.hargett@gesmv.org. - Shari