Assignment 2.4 - Evaluating Access

The Emory Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences building in located right at the bottom of a steep hill, which mostly what makes the building inaccessible for disabled people. One of the entrances in marked as ‘handicap accessible’, but it is not the most accessible entrance for handicapped people. To reach the entrance itself one must either walk up a flight of stairs or walk down a flight of stairs, there is also no ramp for wheelchair users to use. Even though the doors of the entrance are accessible, as they are double doors with a large, low handle easy for disabled people to use, the signage itself is not very accessible. Firstly because there are a flight of stairs one must use to reach the doors we are bound to question if disabled people will even use this entrance, hence making the sign unnecessary. The sign is actually a button, which automatically opens the doors of the entrance, but the button is located on the side wall of the doors, and not directly next to it, thus it is not very eye catching or convenient. There are other entrances to the PAIS Building, which are actually handicap accessible, as they are easy to reach and the sign is more visually attracting.