[Sense]Abilities

Abstract

Architecture has been lacking in how it impacts the disabled population, not by means of accessibility, but by the different ways architecture can impact their well-being. It has become common practice in today’s profession of architecture to design for the disabled based on ADA laws. However, these regulations only ensure that a disabled person is able to successfully, and easily, get from point A in a space to point B. It focuses on things like turn radiuses for someone in a wheelchair, accessible ramp inclines, and widening corridors to remove any obstructions in one’s path. One key issue that is being explored is to find the difference between one’s quality of life, or survival, which these current ADA laws and regulations address, and one’s quality of experience, or meaningfulness one takes away from a piece of architecture. How these people actually feel and experience ADA designed spaces is usually overlooked or not really thought about. This issue leaves this population with mundane, or bland, experiences, to where they just exist, rather than thoroughly enjoy life. By focusing on the quality of experience side of designing rather than on a quality of survival, designers can actually have an impact on one’s meaningfulness of life, leaving him or her with experiences one will remember and reflect on. This quality of experience is being researched through the lens of an individual’s unimpaired senses, manipulating those senses to create a unique experience to each individual, depending on his or her abilities. When one sense is removed, which is usually what occurs when one has a disability, the other senses are enhanced, leaving a great opportunity to use those senses to create something engaging. The goal is to create architecture that no matter what one’s abilities or disabilities are, he or she will experience something meaningful from it.