#Accessible design plus#

It is able to be read and understood easily.

Stuck in traffic? Running late for a meeting? Need to make dinner reservations? Just text.

But global communication was transformed when it was revealed that text messaging presented a more effective solution for saving Telecom bandwidth. They figured out a way for deaf people to communicate with one another without speaking. SMS texting was invented by Finnish inventor Matti Makkonen with two other Finns, Seppo Tiainen and Juhani Tapiol. Their 1981 network led to our sophisticated internet. In the 1970s he was part of an initial research team trying to find ways to share documents with colleagues without talking on the phone. Vinton Cerf, the computer scientist at Google, was hard of hearing. Much of our daily communication has been influenced by ideas originally designed for people with disabilities. Inclusive designing has revolutionized communication. Foot traffic moves steadily and delivery workers with heavy lifting can just roll in and roll out. These ramps are part of the normal fabric of the malls now being used by everyone not just those in wheelchairs. The ADA guidelines compel public places to provide ramps so people in wheelchairs can access into and within the building. Trust me, it isn’t to beautify the building or help toddlers enjoy running up and down them. Much of New York City's rail system was built before wheelchair access was a requirement under the ADA, causing difficulty to implement accessible options now.Īlmost every mall you visit now has ramps. How helpful will this be for all of us as well as those in wheelchairs as we able bodied people with suitcases/pushchairs/bad knees battle the stairs? New York City expects the number of elevators in subways to increase to 144 by 2020.

#Accessible design plus#

'Ramps are part of the normal fabric of malls now being used by everyone not just those in wheelchairs.'Īutomatic doors can also save businesses money – they open only when needed, they cut down on energy waste which directly implies a reduction in heating costs plus no fingerprints on the doors either so no need for extra cleaning.Īccessibility via elevators is not just used by people in wheelchairs - parents/carers with children in prams/pushchairs and toddlers, older people perhaps with health issues or mobility aids, shoppers using supermarket trolleys to take their shopping to their cars, even young people needing to check their mobile phones etc. Once just a clever Sci Fi trick on Star Trek now everywhere. How do we help disabled people get in and out of buildings safely? Automatic doors. When Congress passed The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 it didn’t just help the 58 million plus disabled Americans it helped us all and continues to help us all.