Implementation of accessibility Laws The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 mandated the removal of what was perceived to be the most significant obstacle to employment for people with disabilities: in the physical design of the buildings and facilities they had to use on the job. Although not uniformly applied or consistently rendered, by the mid-1980 accessible design was becoming more of a reality. It was a code-based approach, and the enforcement is mainly focused on modifying the norm through specialized designs and design features and products to accommodate those who differ from the majority, “people with disabilities”. This resulted with facilities which have their own ‘functional limitations’ and aesthetic problems, on the other hand, “it became apparent that segregated accessible features were ‘special,’ more expensive, and usually ugly.” Page 10 [11] Yet, by 1985 people with disabilities had begun to gain significant access to buildings, programs and services. Unfortunately the access was not always equal or appropriate. In many cases, this access was via separate building features and components. The common occurrences were separate entrances, longer routes of travel, confusing way finding, and inconsistently rendered accessibility. As a result, those who could take advantage of these features whether they identified …show more content…
The broad beneficiary group for accessibility, extended far beyond the static group of people regarded as having a disability. The change in the notion of accessibility and the ideas of to whom we are designing for by the architects and product designers began to move toward more creative and universal outcomes. However, those in the public and the majority of the private sectors are still trying to get basic accessibility implemented correctly, if not embracing universal