Page 8 - CooperatorNews Chicagoland Summer 2021

8 COOPERATORNEWS CHICAGOLAND —SUMMER 2021 CHICAGO.COOPERATORNEWS.COM “Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, and ability. It is a fundamental process of good design” —Eric Cohen “ We wanted to give our attendees an experience that’s familiar, but that also takes advantage of the convenience, flexibility, and versatility of an online format over an on-site event.” —Yale Robbins show every year at Navy Pier, Robbins says, “never fear”—along with the same features that make the in-person shows must-attend events, the virtual version brings an unprec- edented level of convenience and flexibility. “We wanted to give our attendees an ex- perience that’s familiar, but that also takes advantage of the convenience, flexibility, and versatility of an online format over an on-site event,” says Robbins. “With our virtual format, attendees can participate at their leisure, at whatever pace they like. They can go anywhere in the virtual exhibit hall almost instantaneously, and pop in and out whenever something of interest to them is going on, whether it be a seminar, a product demo, or a roundtable discussion.” And, adds Robbins, “being freed from the constraints of physical space and all the challenges that go with it—things like noise, coordinating foot traffic, equipment set-up, and so forth—we can offer twice the num- ber of seminars we’re able to offer at our on- site events." CHICAGOLAND'S... continued from page 1 sign researchers led by Ronald Mace at North Carolina State University. Universal Design is the design and composition of an environ- ment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, and ability. It is a fundamental process of good design.” Cohen goes on to explain that there are seven principles of Universal Design: equi- table use, flexibility in use, simple and in- tuitive use, perceptible information, toler- ance for error, low physical effort, size and space for approach and use. Taken together and applied, these principles ensure that an environment can be used in the most in- dependent and natural way, in the widest possible range of situations, by the broad- est array of users, without special adapta- tion, modification, or specialized solutions. They can be applied to evaluate existing designs, to guide new ones, or to educate designers and consumers. Jonathan Baron, principal of Manhat- tan-based Jonathan Baron Interiors, who has also worked in Chicago and around the country, explains the movement in simple terms. “The concept came out of architects’ and interior designers’ concerns about meeting the needs of everyone, including mildly to severely disabled people. Some- thing as simple as a cane or walker would have access to any space from a kitchen or bath to common areas such as lobbies and hallways. In the early 1990s this became a trend. It was the moment where the design industry took on the moral and ethical re- sponsibility of this challenge. We weren’t going to design just anything, anymore. It’s about ‘comfortable’ use. Form follows func- tion. It is a commitment to meet the needs of everyone.” Enter the ADA Universal Design is a movement—not a federal statute or mandatory code. The ADA, on the other hand, is the law. Baron explains that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and signed into law in July 1990 by then President George H.W. Bush. ADA compliance enforcement followed, with fail- ure to meet the new requirements resulting in costly legal action. Failing to make spaces and facilities accessible to those with disabilities was considered discriminatory. Of course, the tenets of Universal Design incorporate the same principles and values enshrined in the ADA—and according to Cohen, architects and designers integrate Universal Design and the ADA requirements all the time. “We use codes as a guide for compliance with agencies having jurisdiction but make the process specific to the location and client,” he says. “It is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We start by understanding the us- ers and asking questions about what they find most challenging. We talk to residents as well as staff. Some of this happens by asking, and some by observing.” UNIVERSAL... continued from page 1 “The design process itself is interactive and layered, and takes many factors into consideration,” Cohen continues, “including things like spatial clearances and mobility im- pediments. Ease of navigating the space; dif- ferentiating between public, private, service, and emergency egress, and finding direction; an understanding of the varied characteristics and abilities of users’ mobility, sensory, cogni- tive, as well as what is familiar to them; appro- priate selections of flooring finishes, lighting, surface finishes on ceilings, walls, floors, and transaction surfaces to avoid glare, slippery floor surfaces. You also address acoustics and palette, to provide balanced contrast in light/ dark, hue, and pattern. It’s also important to address the things that aren’t as apparent as disabilities, such as mental health issues and cognitive issues, and to respond to neurodi- versity. Appropriate furniture and selections to accommodate a range of sizes and abilities. Arms on chairs, seating height and depth.” Baron illustrates how ADA consider- ations affect decisions about and the execu- tion of Universal Design projects. “There are codes that determine how space must function to meet the needs of the mobility impaired,” he says, “and co-ops and condos must be careful that they are adhering to those codes. For instance, you have a front entrance to a building. There are code re- quirements for ramps; doors must open outward, and there are mandatory heights for handles, as well as requirements for the width of the doors, which must be at least 36 inches to accommodate wheelchairs. Stairs may also be an issue for the mobility impaired. For people with vision impair- ments, there are signs in braille. For the hearing impaired, everything is visual.” For older buildings built long before the ADA was even a concept, there may be some wiggle room, Baron says. “It should be noted that some buildings are grandfa- thered in—but if and when they redesign their public areas, they need to be careful about what choices they make, since an ar- chitectural change to the building may trig- ger ADA compliance requirements. That can be very expensive.” Cost vs. Compliance Baron points out that while many older buildings are grandfathered in under the ADA and therefore not mandated to com- ply with the Act’s specifications, even if they wanted to update their spaces, the cost of do- ing so may be prohibitive. This is particularly true for smaller prewar co-ops and condos, and those whose residents are on fixed in- comes. These communities, says Baron, “nor- mally function pretty well, so I suggest they avoid triggering ADA requirements. Co-ops and condos don’t want to trigger the costs involved or lose their entire lobby to a ramp, so we’ll often look for another ingress/egress option, or perhaps recom- mend a collapsible ramp. My advice is to be ‘conservative’ in remodeling your space in ways that might trigger ADA require- ments.” By contrast, Baron continues, buildings with more services may be able to make meaningful updates without necessarily in- curring exorbitant expenses. “For example, if you have services like a concierge desk, when you’re building a new desk or replac- ing an existing one, it might be designed as a dual-level surface with a 42-inch-high surface for standing individuals and a 30-inch-high surface for individuals using wheelchairs. This is where ADA compli- ance and Universal Design meet.” Cohen reiterates that “the ADA was ini- tiated as a civil rights act, not as a prescrip- tion of dimensional code requirements” and stresses that understanding the users of a space and what they want and need is what is most important. He points to New York City’s Inclusive Design Guidelines, which the city’s Department of Design and Construction publishes in collabora- tion with the Center for Inclusive Design & Environmental Access at the State Uni- versity of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, as “an outstanding example of a document that meshes an understanding of accessibility codes with the nuances of how differently- abled users make use of spaces and facili- ties,” from those with mobility challenges to those of varied heights, including children. “Each section describes recommended characteristics but also includes advisory notes that allow for nuances in consider- ation.” A full PDF of the guidelines can be found here: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ ddc/downloads/publications/guides-man- uals/universal-design-ny.pdf In the final analysis, Universal Design— design for everyone—is a concept whose time is definitely here, but also one that has evolved organically over decades. It has also meshed and grown with the practical implication of the Americans with Disabil- ities Act to make real and lasting changes in how we build, what we build, and who we build it for. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. The Virtual Expo is accessible from any desktop, laptop, or mobile device, enabling attendees to interact with exhibitors in real time, sit in on educational webinars, and network—or just chat—with peers from co-op, condo, and HOA communities all over the region. Just like Cooperator Events’ in-person shows, the Chicagoland Virtual Expo is FREE to attend; simply visit chicago. yrexpos.com to register. You’ll get a confir- mation email with a clickable link that will activate when the show opens, giving you unlimited, on-demand access to the webi- nars, exhibitor booths, and everything else the event offers. Exhibitors and panelists are being added to the Virtual Expo roster all the time, so stay tuned for more information and an- nouncements as the big day gets closer. We look forward to seeing you—virtually—at the show! n