Introduction
  Policy Issues
  Site Design
  Building Circulation
  Toilet Rooms
  Accessible Housing
  Communication in Buildings

Note: This material was adapted from a text by Edward Steinfeld entitled A Primer on Accessible Design available from the IDEA Center.

This is an introduction to the design of accessible environments, places that are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. It provides, in an inexpensive and easy to read format, the basic foundation needed to design buildings to be free from architectural barriers or to assist others in that process. It is an appropriate text for gaining a working knowledge of the subject and is particularly useful in the professional education of architects, interior designers and other design professionals as well as rehabilitation specialists and consumer advocates. This section focuses on describing and explaining basic principles and design criteria. Although it includes a section on the history of public policy in this area, it does not provide details on accessibility standards, codes and other regulations like the UFAS. The design criteria and recommendations included here are not intended to accurately represent the provisions of standards, codes and regulations. Rather, they are based on research findings and good practice. UFAS criteria, where they differ from the recommendations here, are noted.

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