In this post we were supposed to find good examples of accessible design. I don't know how most people started this search, but I begun by the most obvious place to me: my own computer. Most modern operating systems have accessibility options and Windows 7 is no different: the Ease of Access Center concentrates most accessibility features in a single screen:
When you open this window, it automatically starts reading the options to you out loud. I will also scan through every option, so if you have either difficulty reading or of mobility (or both), you can make your selection by waiting for the system to say the name of the desired option then just pressing the space bar (by far the largest button on the keyboard). Points for limited vision and dexterity. You can also set up alternatives for sound alerts (for the hard at hearing), alternate input devices (for several disabilities), higher contrast and larger fonts (visibility) etc.
Speaking of visibility, these guidelines for blind people are amazing. We had them everywhere in the subway system in São Paulo. Blind people can follow them using their canes, so they know where to go and where not to go. This example is very interesting (it comes from Japan): it moves sideways every time it comes near a manhole, so in the event that it might be open for work, blind people do not risk falling in. It even helps people with good vision: the obvious asymmetry in the design calls attention to the manhole ahead. Points for visibility, no matter if your blind or just totally distracted.
Speaking of moving around, this is a bus stop in Curitiba, Brazil. Even though it is elevated, it was actually designed with accessibility in mind: buses line up to the side of the tube and you board horizontally, with no ramps or stairs. You climb in through stairs, ramps or this amazing elevator for people with limited mobility or mothers pushing trolleys. You also pay when you climb into the tube, not when you board the bus, so there is no fumbling around for money, smartcards or bus tickets. Less lines, faster transit all around.
This is an accessible bathroom: no pesky doors in the way, the sink is low enough to use from a wheelchair (or to be used by children!), there is a very low shelf for the bathing products and rails all around (very nice to the elderly and also to wheelchair users). The dual shower heads allows for a no-compromises bath for people of all different heights and levels of dexterity.
Last but not least, one of my favorite examples of design for all from Robson Square in Vancouver, Canada. Instead of an obvious "accessible" staircase, with signs telling people with limited mobility where to go, ugly rails separating the ramp from the stairs etc, this is just an integrated space where people of all levels of mobility can get from one level to the other. Rails are integrated to the design with minimal disruption and stairs and ramp blend together in a single, beautiful structure. This is the perfect example that a universal design is possible and that accessibility does not need to be an afterthought or be something glued together to the "regular" design.
