Accessibility Archives - Ӱԭҕl /tag/accessibility/ Design - Construction - Operations Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:34:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cropped-SCN_favicon-32x32.png Accessibility Archives - Ӱԭҕl /tag/accessibility/ 32 32 Can Design Turn SchoolsIntothe New Third Space? /2026/03/23/can-design-turn-schools-into-the-new-third-space/ /2026/03/23/can-design-turn-schools-into-the-new-third-space/#respond Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:34:54 +0000 /?p=54817 Third spaces like commons, libraries and even hallways represent an untapped frontier for fostering the youth’s social and mental well-being.

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Modern third spaces must serve multiple purposes and ideally connect students to nature. | Photo Credit (all): Unsplash

By Evelyn Long

In modern school design, the most critical spaces for student development may not be classrooms — they may be the areas in between. Third spaces like commons, libraries and even hallways represent an untapped frontier for fostering the youth’s social and mental well-being. They’re crucial for community health, but they are steadily declining. This presents a unique opportunity for educational facilities.

The Disappearing Third Space and Its Toll on Student Wellness

Create dedicated huddle stations for small group work, equipped with a monitor with screen-sharing capabilities and mobile whiteboards that can be moved to different locations as needed.
Create dedicated huddle stations for small group work, equipped with a monitor with screen-sharing capabilities and mobile whiteboards that can be moved to different locations as needed.

Third spaces, unlike the first and second spaces — the home and work or school. However, third spaces like malls, local parks and otherafter the COVID-19 pandemic and rise of digital platforms and online communities. This reduces the number of venues and opportunities for low-stakes social interactions that children and young adults especially need.

“We need intimate, close relationships,” Japonica Brown-Saracino, a sociology professor at Boston University, said. “But casual relationships serve a purpose as well, and many of those can be cultivated in a third place.”

Aroundbetween the ages of 13 and 29 report feeling lonely. Teenagers have the highest rates, and those experiencing this isolation are 22% more likely to earn lower grades. These statistics are alarming, as loneliness canand diminish life expectancy.

Within academic institutions, third spaces are where students choose to be, without a formal agenda. Studentsthese places whenthey’reat school. For example, many Gen Z students prefer to spend time in settings with third-space qualities whenthey’renot in class. The challenge for designers is how to bring those qualities inside school walls.

From Concept to Construction — How to Build a Third Space

While the sociological need for third spaces is compelling, the “how” is where design and construction experts can translate an abstract concept into a functional reality. Here are design strategies and ideas that can transform underutilized areas into vibrant hubs for student life.

Implement Flexible and Biophilic Design

Modern third spaces must serve multiple purposes and ideally connect students to nature. Consider these ideas:

  • Use modular seating, movablepartitionsand varied furniture to create distinct zones for quiet study, socialinteractionand collaborative work within a singleopen area.
  • Go beyond potted plants by incorporating living walls, wood-paneledaccentsand large windows to maximize natural light.
  • Choose carpets,textilesor acoustic panels that feature patterns inspired by nature to create a subtle connection to the natural world.

Adopt a “Resimercial” Approach to Materials and Comfort

Blending the comfort of home with the durability of commercial environments is possible withparticular strategies:

  • Use durable but comfortable materials like cleanable fabrics, warm-tonedflooringand area rugs to dampen sound and define spaces.
  • Install a long, recessed electric fireplace in communal spaces to create a powerful sense of warmth and gathering.
  • Designatewall spaces for framing systems that display rotating student artwork to highlight the school’s community.

Ensure Accessibility and Code Compliance

Compliance with codes and regulations, from, is also nonnegotiable. Professionals must go beyond meeting theminimumrequirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure accessibility:

  • Create clear, intuitive pathways free of obstacles, with good lighting and clear wayfinding signage toassistneurodiverse students or those with low vision.
  • Provide a variety of seating options, including chairs with and without armrests and couches at different heights.
  • Design for various sensory needs, which may include using acoustic paneling to dampen noise in “quiet zones” and providing areas with lower levels of stimulation.

Leverage Smart Technology for Efficient Environments

Smart technology will be part of an estimatedby 2028. This widespread adoption means that many students and their parents increasingly see responsive features as a standard.

  • Implement a zoned, smart HVAC system to keep different zones within a third space cool or heated simultaneously based on occupancy and need.
  • Install motorized shades that are programmed to automatically lower during peak sun hours to reduce solar heat gain.
  • Ensure the smart features are well-integrated to reduce energy consumptionand gain significant savings.

Provide Pervasive and Accessible Technology

Beyond smart automation, third spaces must always provide the fundamental technological infrastructure students need.

  • Integrate power outlets and USB charging ports directly into couches, tables,benchesand other furniture.
  • Ensure the third space has a blanketcoveragewireless network with sufficient density of wireless access points to handle hundreds of simultaneous connections without lag or dead zones.
  • Create dedicated huddle stations for small group work, equipped with a monitor with screen-sharing capabilities and mobile whiteboards that can be moved todifferent locationsas needed.

The Future of School as a Community Anchor

Third spaces are a proven sociological concept that provides the informal, voluntary social connection that today’s adolescents are actively seeking. The goal is to intentionally design these spaces into the school environment, rather than leaving them to chance. Combine flexible, human-centered architectural planning and strategically integrate smart technology. Aim to become builders of the infrastructure that supports a healthier and more connected generation.

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How UC Berkeley’s Creekside Center Reimagines Accessibility and Sustainability /2026/02/09/how-uc-berkeleys-creekside-center-reimagines-accessibility-and-sustainability/ /2026/02/09/how-uc-berkeleys-creekside-center-reimagines-accessibility-and-sustainability/#respond Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:48:51 +0000 /?p=54680 The reimagined Creekside Center at UC Berkeley represents a fundamental shift in how accessibility, sustainability, and historic preservation can coexist within the academic built environment.

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The building’s exterior was carefully rehabilitated, with its historic characterretained and repaired, when possible. | Photo Credit (all): Bruce Damonte

By Ryan Jang and Cecily Ng

Solar shades and dimmer switches for all overhead lights allow occupants to control the quality of light.
Solar shades and dimmer switches for all overhead lights allow occupants to control the quality of light.

The reimagined Creekside Center at UC Berkeleyrepresentsa fundamental shift in how accessibility, sustainability, and historic preservation can coexist within the academic built environment. Located in the campus’ classical core, the project transformed the formerDwinelleHall Annex — a deteriorating, barrier-laden structure — into an inclusive, high-performance home for the university’s Disabled Students’ Program (DSP). Rather than treating accessibility as a compliance exercise, the design team approached the renovation as an opportunity todemonstratehow universal design can enhance comfort, resilience, and agency for all building users.

Shaped by an extensive programming process that included feedback from students, staff, and campus stakeholders, the project is rooted in DSP’s belief that “an accessible environment universally benefits everyone.”More than4,000 students visit thebuilding regularly to receive services such as proctoring, alternativemediaand interpreting.

A Historic Building with Modern Barriers

The two-story building is nestled in the mature trees north of Strawberry Creek.Originallydesignedby John Galen Howard in 1920in the First Bay Tradition,there wereadditions in 1924 by Howard and 1949 by Michael Goodman.Whentheproject began in 2021,many features attributingthe buildingto the First Bay Traditionwere presentbutin a state of disrepair. A non-code compliant ramp linked three of the lower elevations while the upper floors were disconnectedandonlyreachablebystairs.The exterior suffered from water intrusion, rot, and pest damage.The existingsteamheating system was served bythe campus central plantin a highly inefficient manner. There was no mechanical ventilation or air filtration system.

Restoring Character While Improving Performance

Each office has an independently controlled thermostat, and every regularly occupied space has at least one operable window to provide individual choice in the quality and temperature of airflow.
Each office has an independently controlled thermostat, and every regularly occupied space has at least one operable window to provide individual choice in the quality and temperature of airflow.

The building’s exterior was carefully rehabilitated, with its historic characterretainedand repaired, when possible. Newcladdingreplicatesthe original redwood board and batten siding. Thelow-pitched gabled roof eaves and fasciaswere restored. Thespearmint-coloredwindows with dividedliteswere replaced with high performance windows ofthe same sizeand appearance. “High performance”couldnot just address environmental qualities.Window modelswerealsoevaluated foraccessibilityfeaturessuch as operating force and the height of locking and lifting mechanisms.

Other envelope-tightening measures included adding weather barriers and insulation to the exterior walls,roofand floors. The project installed all-electric mechanical systems.Through thisdeep-energyretrofit,actual energyusein the six months of full occupancy has been 84% below baseline. The embodied carbon intensity is 63% lower than the median new-construction educational building.

A Ramp as the Building’s Circulation Spine

The one major exterior addition is a new ramp that connects the five existing floor elevations. As thesinglecirculationspine, the rampfacilitatesequitableaccess throughout the building. Large expanses of glazing along the rampallowsviews clear across the building from the campus to the creek. Exposed structural wood postssupporting the rampcreate a unifying cadence and a place for handrail brackets. By expressing the ramp slope on the exterior withacontemporaryfiber cement panel façade, the rampbecomesa beacon that communicates universal access.

Universal Design Beyond Code Requirements

Wood is used in high touch places such as windows, handrails, and wall end caps.
Wood is used in high touch places such as windows, handrails, and wall end caps.

Universal Design strategies exceed codeaccessibilityrequirements and include color and form-based wayfinding and biophilia rich interiors.The restoredexistingwoodroof trusses were exposedas an interior finish materialandinfluenced theremainderof the interior material palette. Wood is used in high touch places such as windows, handrails, and wall end caps. The wood provided textural and color contrast, both of which help make spaces more accessible, without overwhelming the senses.

Preserving the existing floor to floor height significantly limited the space for mechanical equipment. By selectively lowering the ceiling atthethresholdbetweencirculationandprogram spaces, the team created room for the equipment and provided an area for an individual to decompress before deciding how to engage with the space ahead.The floor materialand wallcolor differ from the adjacent spaces and are only usedinthe thresholds. The color, texture, and difference in light qualityin the threshold spaces signifiesto someone with low vision they were about to enter a new type of space.

Designing for Choice, Agency, and Comfort

The thresholdsofferindividualchoice,a themealsointegratedelsewhere. Eachofficehas an independently controlledthermostat,andeveryregularly occupied space has atleast one operable windowtoprovide individualchoice in the quality and temperature of airflow. Solar shades and dimmer switches for all overhead lightsallow occupants to control the quality of light.Individualized controls are often missing from today’s workspaces, but these featuresareeasy to integrate and go a long way to make occupants feel welcome.

To guide the project beyond minimum code accessibility, the team devised a list ofeight“Impact Areas” that connect access needs to design features rather than assigning features to specific disabilities. The Impact Areas includedneedssuch as community building and privacy, cognitive access, and sensory zoning.The Impact Areasoffereda framework to address “dueling disabilities,” wherepeople have drastically different environmental needs,andultimatelyhelpedthe teamprovide agency and enhance feelings of safety and securityin the building.Creekside Center provides a much-needed home for a community that hashistorically marginalized from the design of the built environment.

Ryan Jang,AIA, LEED AP, is a Principal and Cecily Ng, AIA, is an AssociatewithLeddy Maytum Stacy Architects.

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Building Accessibility and Inclusivity into Playspaces /2025/07/24/building-accessibility-and-inclusivity-into-playspaces/ Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:00:42 +0000 /?p=54072 Photo: Moore has worked on projects of all sizes across the country for schools as well as communities, including the world’s largest inclusive playground, Park Circle in Charleston, S.C. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of Landscape Structures By Lindsey Coulter Jill Moore is an inclusive play specialist with Landscape Structures, a playground manufacturer based in Delano,...

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Photo: Moore has worked on projects of all sizes across the country for schools as well as communities, including the world’s largest inclusive playground, Park Circle in Charleston, S.C. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of Landscape Structures

By Lindsey Coulter

Moore notes that when children spin or swing or engage in motion, they’re developing a sense of motion, movement and bodily awareness.
Moore notes that when children spin or swing or engage in motion, they’re developing a sense of motion, movement and bodily awareness.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Landscape Structures

Jill Moore is an inclusive play specialist with Landscape Structures, a playground manufacturer based in Delano, Minn. She is also a wheelchair user who uses her lived experiences to help develop more innovative, informed and inclusive playground designs. Or rather, she’s used her childhood experience of not being able to access and enjoy most playgrounds to be an advocate for spaces that welcome all.

“When we build for inclusion, we’re saying who we value,” Moore said. “When I see an inclusive playground, I feel welcome there. Someone has thought of me and decided that I matter and have something to add.”

Moore has worked on projects of all sizes across the country for schools as well as communities, including the world’s largest inclusive playground, Park Circle in Charleston, S.C. She helps clients to consider play structures and equipment as well as who they are designing for and what play opportunities would best align with their community’s needs.

Moore spoke with Ӱԭҕl about what makes for a successful project, how clients can shift their approaches to make spaces even more welcoming and the common recommendations that can help any play space be more inclusive.

Is there a general definition or criteria for what makes a play area or play equipment accessible and inclusive?

Moore: Yes and no. The ADA guidelines for children’s play spaces were written in 2000, and in 2010 those guidelines became law, but they are the bare minimum. We’ve never really defined inclusion with a check box, because as soon as you give it a check box people adhere to the minimum. For example, inclusive playground design for me could look very different from inclusive design for a child with autism.While there is no official governing body that is giving a stamp of approval, there are a ton of best practices that designers can use to make a playground inclusive.

Historically, how have play spaces inadvertently excluded children with disabilities?

The company’s We-Go-Round is an inclusive spinner for children who seek more motion and thrill.
The company’s We-Go-Round is an inclusive spinner for children who seek more motion and thrill.
Photo Credit: Mike Bigalke
Mike Bigalke

Moore: Even after ADA compliance you could go to an ADA-compliant play space, and someone like me wouldn’t necessarily be able to do anything on that playground. For example, Engineered Wood Fiber is considered “accessible”, but maneuvering a wheelchair through it is impossible, as loose-fill materials are hard to push through. So, it’s considering how a kid moves through a space; if they use their energy just to navigate the playground rather than actually playing on it. It’s considering children who use mobility devices, but it goes much further. For example, playgrounds are usually loud, busy places with lots of sensory stimulation and sometimes complex play components that require a lot of motor coordination. This could exclude kids with autism or ADHD who are easily overstimulated, are working on their motor coordination orare developing those skills at a different pace.

Why is it important to shift away from the medical model of disability and toward the social model?

Moore: The medical model of disability puts all the fault on the user. If we build exclusively, we’re saying ‘It’s your fault you can’t access this due your needs and abilities being different or more complex.’

In the social model, however, we’re saying it’s the environment that needs to change so that you can be your best self. When I was a kid I hated the playground, but there was a massive difference between my peers not wanting to play with me and me not being able to play. The social model says everyone is meant to be here; it doesn’t blame anyone or call them out for whatever their needs may be.

How can inclusive play spaces benefit all users?

Moore: It’s hard to pinpoint what “inclusive” means because everyone needs different things. When you say “inclusive design” most people assume that means designing for people with disabilities, but we’re designing for everyone because play is important for everyone. That’s where we learn fundamental cognitive, physical, sensory and social skills. When we climb on things, use our muscles, run around, push on things—which are all so inherent to play—we are developing sensory systems that allow us to also do things like cut construction paper, open doors and communicate.When we spin or swing or engage in motion, we’re developing our sense of movement and bodily awareness. We need those fundamentals if we’re going to be successful with day-to-day life and activities.

What are some immediate and cost-effective ways that clients can redevelop or renovate existing play spaces to be more inclusive?

The best thing to do is get a clear understanding of who you’re designing for and who you are serving. You might not need to spend money on a ramp if your ability demographic isn’t as focused on physical disabilities, but you could include a climbing device with different skill-level routes that would meet a variety of needs—or a spinner to provide regulation for a child who seeks out that sensory experience.

Anchorage Alaska’s State of Play initiative is a helpful example.It’s a methodology for becoming a more inclusive park system that rated all public parks, Level 1 is the most inclusive and Level 4 is for play spaces that didn’t even meet ADA standards. They tackled the list over time, and from 2006 through now, they’ve become a really inclusive parks system through retrofits, phasing, adding inclusive features as budget allows, etc.

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