I'm a short person -- I'll admit that. At five feet tall, I often find myself looking up. I am rarely at eye-level with things. Lately, I've been seeking solitude in Battle Hall, and each time I reach for the door handle to enter the domain, I notice that it is lower than usual.
It's a strange feeling.
Design is interesting in the fact that it often targets a general population: the "user" is usually a six-foot male of a slimmer figure.
But why? Shouldn't design be a heterogenous entity, especially with all the diversity society has to offer?
At that moment, I wondered, is it strange that I find it strange that the door handle be... well, strange?
People enjoy routine, but routine varies from person to person -- especially if that person is in a wheelchair. Would a person in a wheelchair be more comfortable with using that door handle that I did? And if they were, would that be okay? But wait -- would they even be able to utilize that door handle? It would be difficult to push the door and roll inside in a wheelchair, afterall. And then there's another problem! The door pulls outward, rather than pushes inward!
Oh, what a strange door, indeed. Thank goodness for the automated handicap button.
... But is a simple button really enough?
Inclusive design is something that is not discussed nearly enough in my opinion! Retrofitting buildings today has become a necessity here in the US, but it still is not considered an essential part of the design, if you know what I mean. What would inclusive design look like in our cities, were we to take it as a core principle?
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