Why should people with disabilities, or who have just grown old, be relegated to ramps around the back side of buildings and venues? We can understand some of these limitations in older historic buildings, but it becomes much harder to accept when architects continue to design modern spaces with accessible entrances placed off to the side or hidden behind the building, sometimes next to loading areas or trash dumpsters, sending a clear message about who is expected to use the front door and who is not.
Beautiful architecture can be built that is accessible for everyone, and yet, new courthouses, municipal buildings, shopping centers, museums, and private businesses need to be built with accessibility in mind, not as just an afterthought.
Although the ADA was passed in 1990, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the guidelines and requirements were finalized for new buildings. Thirty years later, we still have new buildings that lack appropriate accessibility.
Even decades after the ADA, many newer buildings still fall short of true accessibility. The law sets minimum standards, but “meeting code” does not always mean a space is usable in real life.
Entrances may technically exist but be hidden, inconvenient, or difficult to navigate. Too often, accessibility is treated as something to add at the end of a project rather than something that shapes the design from the beginning.
Enforcement also plays a role. Much of the ADA depends on inspections that vary in rigor or on disabled individuals filing complaints after the fact, which places the burden on the very people being excluded.
Add in design decisions made without input from disabled individuals, along with cost-cutting and loopholes in renovations, and barriers still persist. At its core, this reflects a deeper issue: spaces are still too often designed with the assumption that accessibility is optional, rather than essential.
Accessibility is a fundamental right and shouldn’t be an afterthought.