Page 7 - CooperatorNews May 2021

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SPF (Spray Polyurethane Foam) roofing TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) roofing MB (Modified Bitumen) roofing EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer) roofing Flat Top or sloped Tile roofing Metal Roofing Systems HERE ARE THE STATS We Offer the Following Services For a FREE quote, call us at (973) 890-7663 (New York/New Jersey). Visit weathertightroof.com cerns about meeting the needs of every- one, including mildly to severely disabled people. Something as simple as a cane or walker would have access to any space from a kitchen or bath to common areas such as lobbies and hallways. In the early 1990s this became a trend. It was the moment where the design industry took on the moral and ethical responsibility of this challenge. We weren’t going to design just anything any- more. It’s about ‘comfortable’ use. Form fol- lows function. It is a commitment to meet the needs of everyone.” Enter the ADA Universal Design is a movement—not a federal statute or mandatory code. Th e ADA, on the other hand, is the law. Baron explains that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and signed into law in July 1990 by then President George H.W. Bush. ADA com- pliance enforcement followed, with failure to meet the new requirements resulting in costly legal action. Failing to make spaces and fa- cilities accessible to those with disabilities was considered discriminatory. Of course, the tenets of Universal Design incorporate the same principles and values enshrined in the ADA—and according to Co- hen, architects and designers integrate Uni- versal Design and the ADA requirements all the time. “We use codes as a guide for com- UNIVERSAL... continued from page 1 pliance with agencies having jurisdiction, but make the process specifi c to the location and client,” he says. “It is not a one-size-fi ts-all ap- proach. We start by understanding the users and asking questions about what they fi nd most challenging. We talk to residents as well as staff . Some of this happens by asking, and some by observing. “Th e design process itself is interactive and layered, and takes many factors into consid- eration,” Cohen continues, “including things like spatial clearances and mobility impedi- ments. Ease of navigating the space; diff er- entiating between public, private, service and emergency egress, and fi nding direction; an understanding of the varied characteristics and abilities of users’ mobility, sensory, cogni- tive, as well as what is familiar to them; appro- priate selections of fl ooring fi nishes, lighting, surface fi nishes on ceilings, walls, fl oors, and transaction surfaces to avoid glare, slippery fl oor surfaces. You also address acoustics and palate, to provide balanced contrast in light/ dark, hue, and pattern. It’s also important to address the things that aren’t as apparent as disabilities, such as mental health issues and cognitive issues, and to respond to neuro- diversity. Appropriate furniture and selec- tions to accommodate a range of sizes and abilities—arms on chairs; seating height and depth.” Baron illustrates how ADA considerations aff ect decisions about and the execution of Universal Design projects. “Th ere are codes that determine how space must function to meet the needs of the mobility impaired,” he says, “and co-ops and condos must be careful that they are adhering to those codes. For in- stance, you have a front entrance to a building. Th ere are code requirements for ramps; doors must open outward, and there are mandatory heights for handles, as well as requirements for the width of the doors, which must be at least 36 inches to accommodate wheelchairs. Stairs may also be an issue for the mobility im- paired. For people with vision impairments, there are signs in braille. For the hearing im- paired, everything is visual.” For older buildings built long before the ADA was even a concept, there may be some wiggle room, Baron says. “It should be noted that some buildings are grandfathered in— but if and when they redesign their public ar- eas, they need to be careful about what choices they make, since an architectural change to the building may trigger ADA compliance re- quirements. Th at can be very expensive.” Cost vs. Compliance Baron points out that while many older buildings are grandfathered in under the ADA and therefore not mandated to comply with the Act’s specifi cations, even if they wanted to update their spaces, the cost of doing so may be prohibitive. Th is is particularly true for smaller prewar co-ops and condos, and those whose residents are on fi xed incomes. Th ese communities, says Baron, “normally function pretty well, so I suggest they avoid triggering ADA requirements. Co-ops and condos don’t want to trigger the costs involved or lose their entire lobby to a ramp, so we’ll of- ten look for another ingress/egress option, or perhaps recommend a collapsible ramp. My advice is to be ‘conservative’ in remodeling your space in ways that might trigger ADA requirements.” By contrast, Baron continues, buildings with more services may be able to make meaningful updates without necessarily in- curring exorbitant expenses. “For example, if you have services like a concierge desk, when you’re building a new desk or replacing an existing one, it might be designed as a dual- level surface with a 42-inch-high surface for standing individuals and a 30-inch-high sur- face for individuals using wheelchairs. Th is is where ADA compliance and Universal De- sign meet.” Cohen reiterates that “the ADA was ini- tiated as a civil rights act, not as a prescrip- tion of dimensional code requirements” and stresses that understanding the users of a space and what they want and need is what is most important. He points to New York City’s Inclusive Design Guidelines, which the city’s Department of Design and Construction publishes in collaboration with the Center for Inclusive Design & Environmental Access at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buf- falo is “an outstanding example of a document that meshes an understanding of accessibility codes with the nuances of how diff erently- abled users make use of spaces and facilities,” from those with mobility challenges to those continued on page 8