July 2021 - ADA Signing

​July 26 is the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which set the minimum standards required by law for public spaces to be accessible to persons with disabilities. In recent decades it has also become more common to see spaces designed under the principles of accessible or universal design. Learn more about the difference between those two principles from The Universal Design Project and check out how this can apply to buildings and other civil/architectural spaces with these recommendations from the Whole Building Design Guide. 
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Finally, if you want to experience some universal design for yourself, check out Berkeley’s Ed Roberts Campus, right next to the Ashby Bart station. The campus is currently closed during the pandemic, but it is an excellent example of how thoughtful design can make a space welcoming to a broad range of people.