In my household, my parents and I have physical disabilities which often require us to use mobility
aids. Accessibility has become a more frequent thought of mine since I started to use a cane and my mother began to use a wheelchair. Often when I enter buildings or rooms, especially bathrooms, I look to see how accessible they are and they always have their problems, including those of Delta College.
After visiting Shima, SCMA, and DeRicco bathrooms, a total of 12 overall, I found that each of the bathrooms were accessible, but not with ease. The layout of the men’s and gender-neutral bathrooms of Shima create turns that are not easily maneuvered by larger wheelchairs and the automatic doors begin to close themselves before you have the chance to get your chair past the threshold. The bathrooms in SCMA have good layouts, but lack automatic doors.
Delta’s bathrooms however are much more accessible than others that I have encountered. Some “accessible” bathrooms I have visited have required you to venture down flights of stairs to reach them or are too small to turn in. This can be seen as a reflection of how ADA accessibility guidelines can allow architects and businesses to do the bare minimum to reach compliance. Furthermore, these guidelines may not be made with everyone in mind. Those who do not fit into one person’s idea
of disability may be overlooked when establishing new or updated guidelines and building codes.
The U.S. Access Board states, “The ADA standards are issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) and apply to facilities covered by the ADA in new construction and alterations. DOJ’s standards apply to all facilities covered by the ADA, except public transportation facilities, which are subject to DOT’s standards.”
Extensive guidelines and rules are required during construction, however, construction rarely sees these guidelines as people trying to live their lives, but rather a code that must be met with no more consideration.
What ADA compliance fails to accomplish is accessibility for everyone. Disability encompasses a large array of physical abilities. If most buildings are designed with the minimum requirements to reach compliance, they can have bathroom facilities that are not accessible to all. Door clearance and weight may not account for individuals who are unable to properly open the door by themselves such as those with chronic pain or those who need assistance when there is not an automatic door.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 and has since created opportunities for disabled people that may not have been attainable without it. ADA.gov states, “The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.”
Though the law has created remarkable change and improved equality, it is still not good enough. Bathrooms being fully accessible is only a fraction of the work that needs to be done. Spaces need to be
designed by disabled people with disabled people at the forefront, not as a legal obligation.