Independent Living Institute

While researching important aspects of what I should consider when designing my office in consideration of disable people, I came across a "Report of the CIB Expert Seminar on Building Non-Handicapping Environments, Budapest 1991" which can be seen at the following website:
www.independentliving.org/cib/cibbudapest10.html

While the report is old, it raised some interesting points about designing public spaces for people with disabilities. It commented that in 1991, according to the World Health Organization, 10 percent of the total global population are physically disabled. This is a significant number, which does not even take into account those who are mentally disabled.

It went to emphasising how "Architectural and urban barriers prevent persons with disabilities to participate in social activities" and how because of these barriers, not only is the individual who holds potential prevented from participating adequetly in society, society too is "deprived of their abilities and talents". Therefore when I come to designing my office space I need to take into consideration access measurements and reach dimensions where people who might be using technical aids like wheelchairs, crutches, canes will not have to face as many barriers which will also eliminae the barriers of other disabled persons. The report goes in to say that "Negligence of the design criteria can result in inaccessibility, isolating many groups of people and holding them back from participation in social and enonomic activites".

I want my architecture office to be accessible for all kinds of people from all walks of life. Therefore I will have to take into account the dimensions that determine the spaces within the office and also possibily add further elements. Not that I could fully understand the emotions of the people who suffer from disabilities, I want to create a space where they would feel free; not hindered nor stopped from the physical elements surrounding them. This space should educate its users about all aspects of architecture, and motivate them to similar success or inspire their own creations and designs.