Think Purpose, Empower Life
Universal design is the design of buildings, products, services or environments to make them user-friendly and accessible to all people. We develop different forms of disability or impairment throughout our life because of accidents, ageing or medical condition. Thus, the 7 principles of universal design have became vital design principles to create an inclusive society, empowering people with different disability to live independently to the greatest extent.
Based on Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Code on Accessibility 2019, unframed full-height glass doors must be prominently marked or highlighted with motifs to make them visible.
The markings or motifs must consist of two horizontal bands, each at least 100mm high and of contrasting colours to assist visibility.
The upper band must be affixed at a height of between 1400mm and 1600mm and the lower band affixed at a height of between 850mm and 1000mm above the floor level. Where each band zone consists of more than one band, the aggregate width of the bands in each zone must be 100 mm or more as shown in image below. Continue reading “Code on Accessibility 2019 – Glass Doors”
In order to enable persons with visual impairments to move about independently with safety and dignity, Building and Construction Authority (BCA) encourages qualified persons and designers to adopt recommendations on visual contrast in building interiors to help create an inclusive environment.
The orientation and mobility of persons with visual impairments will be greatly enhanced by introducing the concept of:
When it becomes a compulsory requirement for everyone without serious health condition to wear a mask in the public and workplace since 14 April 2020 because of COVID-19 pandemic, for people with hearing impairments, communicating with a traditional mask has became like blind folding our eyes and putting on ear plugs while watching a movie. Some employees with hearing disabilities are relying on lip reading to communicate. Continue reading “Support Mask for Accessibility”
Universal Design (UD) means “design for all”. It aims to create an environment which will address the needs of as many people as possible, regardless of their abilities and age. Consequently UD takes into consideration the physical, social and psychological needs of all possible users. On the other hand, Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA) evaluates the physical accessibility of the built environment and adopts measures to reduce physical barriers for these people. BFA is hence a “sub-set” of UD. Continue reading “Universal Design (UD) and Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA)”