The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George W. Bush on July 26, 1990. It became a staple moment in the disability rights movement, originating decades prior. This became the first law passed to address the rights of people with disabilities specifically, and it proved to challenge previous discriminatory laws and businesses (Parrott-Sheffer).

“The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.”

How does this look in design today?

The ADA required a series of requirements to be considered within design. This included things from mandated slope angles for ramps and the rails that must be acquired with them to a dedicated number of accessible spots in parking lots. Mandates such as these greatly increased the number of considerations taken into account when designing spaces for people. In recent years, there has been growing consideration toward designing for the aging population. Architects and interior designers are striving to fulfill the wants of consumers to have houses in which they can grow old. This includes hallways with enough space for canes and wheelchairs, stair lifts, and grab bars in beds and bathrooms (Reggev). 

These regulations benefit everyone regardless of disability, and in the last 35 years, we’ve seen a major change in how architects and designers create spaces. These changes benefit everyone, such as regulated curb cuts that support wheelchairs, shopping carts, luggage, etc. However, we still struggle to find full inclusivity today. 

Architects are looking towards ADA regulations as boxes to be checked rather than taking a holistic approach (Reggev). There is also no designated person or group of people set to enforce ADA guidelines (Stratton). Many well-meaning designers strive to create for those with disabilities; however, they often fall flat with successfully satisfying user needs. An example is the lack of existing devices designed for customers who are blind. Oftentimes when visitors who are blind ask for an assistive device they receive one specific for customers who are hard of hearing (Subray). This is an outcome of designers generalizing the needs of all customers with disabilities at movie theaters, instead of individually considering the needs of users with differing disabilities.

So, where do we go from here? We must emphasize the impact that accessible design has on everyone with and without disabilities, to architects. However, we must not only rely on the Architect to be responsible for this understanding but also emphasize this point to the design, consulting, and construction team as a whole(Stratton). We as designers must design with clear intentions for the specific audience in mind. Additionally, we must push the concept of universal design into designing a world suited for everyone alike.