While projects aiming to modernize historically significant resources often cast preservation and accessibility adaptations as antithetical outcomes, a better outcome is possible. With dozens of National Register-listed historic resources, the University of California, Berkeley houses numerous examples of historically significant features made accessible through adaptation.
By examining efforts to integrate accessibility on a campus that traverses 300 feet of vertical grade from west to east, this presentation will provide a master class on how accessibility requirements can unlock creativity in the design process. You'll also learn about the recent ADA Master Plan to highlight innovative approaches for accessible design.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the history of the disabled rights movement that led to the passage of the National Rehabilitation Act of 1974 and later the ADA.
- Explore the different lenses through which disability can be viewed and how these perspectives lead to different societal expectations and built outcomes.
- Develop a constructive dialogue between historic preservation and ADA access.
- Advocate for accessibility requirements as a constraint that unlocks creativity in the design process