Short Abstract:

This completed graduate thesis explores the unequal distribution of resources linked to instances of design disablement resulting from standardized architectural practices. Through an ethnographic investigation of the spatial experiences of mobility aid users, it analyzes the extent to which the built environment may either hinder or enhance the capabilities of people with disabilities.

Long Abstract:

Historically, our society has demonstrated tendencies of exclusion towards those who misfit the norms. While there may be innumerable factors that come into play in these scenarios, such tendencies of marginalization seem to hold a strong connection to aspects of the built environment. As one of the many standardized systems in our world, design and architecture follow guidelines that commonly comply with a ‘one size fits all’ approach, catering toa mainstream majority while disregarding individuals who misfit such standards. Such scenario of design disablement is commonly true for users of assistive technology, whose scope of devices are rarely considered within traditional design practices.Although such technologies may be partially accounted for through codes and regulations regarding wheelchair access, the usability of other forms of mobility assistance - such as walkers, crutches, canes, scooters and adaptive limbs - remain absent in such guidelines. With architectural practices focusing on the needs of non-disabled bodies, the needs of mobility aid users seem to go unrecognized, leading to disadvantageous spatial conditions that restrict their capabilities. Taking that perspective into consideration, it’s possible to say that the ambulation restraints of individuals who rely on mobility aids is less about their physical capabilities and more about architecture’s lack of receptiveness towards their reliance on the use of assistive devices. Bringing to light the complexities between the built environment and the use of mobility devices, this investigation seeks to recognize the joint influence between the demands imposed by spatial design and the ranging capacities of those who may use it. Although other minorities may also face barriers of flawed design, the primary concern to be addressed within this framework is the capability limitations imposed specifically on individuals who face reduced mobility and rely on assistive ambulation devices.