We conducted a barrier-free design experience and verification with our colleague, para powerlifter Chika Sakamoto, of architecture and urban planning in October 2022.
It was initially held for employees at the Tokyo headquarters, but after receiving feedback from employees at branch offices, we held another practice at the Chubu branch office in Nagoya two years later. This time, several employees from five branch offices across Japan participated.
During the 2022 practice, the architects' wheelchair experience was limited to the quiet sidewalks around the headquarters and the building grounds we designed. This time, we started verification from the Chubu branch office near Nagoya station. The architects traveled in wheelchairs along all the routes, including the subway, a busy underground shopping arcade at Nagoya station, commercial facilities, and a building designed by our company. Ms. Sakamoto offered the following advice: "I encourage you to consider what wheelchair users may think about doing next when moving around." Through this experience, the architects were confronted with various issues, such as, "Where is the elevator to the underground shopping arcade, and where is the signpost for it?" “Where should I position myself on the train after boarding?" and "Which direction should I face, front or back, when getting into the elevator?” These findings were based on a broad perspective of "going out to the city,” not confined to a detailed perspective on buildings and facilities. The architects struggled with maneuvering the wheelchair, which they were not used to. The 1/20 slope, which they had assumed to be gentle, was much more strenuous in a wheelchair than expected, making them keenly aware that design standards are only minimum regulations.
With the cooperation of a housing equipment manufacturer, we also conducted verification using a multipurpose toilet showroom and other mock-ups. We met with the person in charge of developing and designing multipurpose toilets, who explained in detail the various ingenious ideas incorporated into the design to maximize the usability of the space for wheelchairs and everyone else. After that, all participants discussed whether any areas could be improved further, whether customizing the specifications of the buttons and equipment was possible, not just choosing from pre-packaged options, and so on. The person in charge of the development told us, ‘We were able to exchange various opinions, which we would like to consider internally.’ It was undoubtedly a most valuable opportunity.
The experience verification was made more meaningful with the support of the facility operator, the housing equipment manufacturer, and the staff of the community welfare service, who kindly lent us wheelchairs. The employees who participated realized that design requires consideration of various factors, not just compliance with laws and regulations, and the insights gained through the verification process were a great learning experience. After that, they brought back their verification results to their branch offices and shared them with their colleagues. This led to discussions among many employees, creating new opportunities to acquire new knowledge and perspectives. We believe this process will bring us closer to achieving a more practical barrier-free design.
We will continue to pursue diversity and inclusion in architecture and urban planning from diverse perspectives, striving for further evolution.
