UD Size and Space for
Approach and Use
TEAM: A Team has No Name
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What is Size and Space for Approach and Use?
Well, the principal behind ‘size and space for approach and use’ is essentially where objects and areas are designed in such a way so that they can be used and/or manipulated in any way no matter the user’s size or mobility. Oh boy, that makes me feel like I just repeated the question in a different way. Simply put, areas around you could have been designed with this principal in mind to make access, use, or working with/around it easy to use no matter your capability. For instance, a hotel front desk.
You see how there’s two different heights on the ‘L’ shaped desk? That’s because it was designed to be able to be used for individuals of varying ability. For instance, if I walked up to the desk, being a tall and able bodied person I’d stand in front where the little stand may be but if a friend who just broke their leg needed to make a reservation, they’d still be able to do so by wheeling their wheelchair up to the lowered portion and use it just as I would with the raised part. Another instance where this principal comes in mind is parking lots. These big asphalt jungles are designed to hold a maximum amount of cars as possible within a set range, included in this space are lanes for the cars to move about in, parts with extra space for larger vehicles, pick up and drop off lanes, and disabled-usable spots towards the front of the lot, giving people access to the store no matter their mobility or ability. Look at our local Walmart’s parking lot, there’s a lot of use in function here.
There’s even guidelines for how parking lots should be designed!
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/ada-guidelines-parking-standards-844702
Here’s a video of a YMCA Gym that was designed with this principal in mind:
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