Most facilities in the United States are now required to have Universal Design. Universal design is, “the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability”. The concept of universal design is to accommodate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, “which makes it illegal for federal agencies, or programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance or are conducted by a federal agency, to discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. Requirements under Section 504 include reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities; program accessibility; effective communication with people who have hearing or vision disabilities; and accessible new construction and alterations.”
Universities are a great example of how universal designs should be implemented to
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The facility is barrier free for the most part, but the ramp in the back entrance may be a little too steep for someone who has to push themselves up using a manual wheel chair. Of course, there is a ramp at the front of the library that is not as steep as the one in the back, but access to this side is denied after a certain time forcing those individuals to travel all the way around. The ramp in the back of the library also has rails on both sides, which follows the regulations according to ADA. Yet, the library is still more accessible than other buildings on campus because it has multiple elevators. An example is if one were to be out of order, disregarding any power outages or fires, someone could still go to the floor that they desire with the other one, unlike the fine arts