Riding in a wheelchair is an experience everyone should try at least once in their life. Seeing the world and day to day tasks from the height and restriction of 3 feet is something not to be taken lightly. So why do we still have buildings that limit the accessibility of people with disabilities? While my experience was short, I found many times during my trial run to be very difficult, I was barely able to squeeze through doors and bathroom accessibility was a thing of the past. To be comfortable is now a luxury in the everyday world of someone in a wheelchair, most things are more difficult.
During my trial run of the wheelchair I found then bathroom to be one of the biggest difficulties. Transferring from the chair to the toilet seat was definitely not going to happen. Fitting in a and around the corners and angles inside of Daggy Hall's bathrooms was also something I could never imagine dealing with everyday, my knees and shins were bruised to the point where only soccer matches could compare. Allison Taylor, my partner, found difficulty in going up slopes. Even slopes that were apparently ADA accessible were very difficult to maneuver and the wheelchair was constantly off balance. Overall, the wheelchair was a positive experience, it showed me that my designs for interiors in the future need to accommodate every kind of person, disabled or not.
