Architect Bob Borson shares his experience of being in a wheelchair for a day, part of AIA Dallas’ day of awareness on the “impact ADA has had on the built environment.”
Borson found out that there were many small details that are easily overlooked when it comes to making sure a building is accessible to everyone, such as which way a door opens, the length of a counter at the cafeteria, or the design of a copy machine.
He also noticed how much his interactions at social and networking events changed because he was in a wheelchair.
“One of the things that came out of my cocktail reception – other than not being able to really connect with people since my face was crotch height with everyone at the event – had more to do with moving around during the event,” he writes. “Nobody was looking down and there were a lot of people at this event. I literally spent the entire time looking for trafficable routes between A and B."