Wheelchair Accessible Cabin Lodging in the Smoky Mountains

Posted on May 21, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Leave a comment

The National Parks are a beautiful treasure we have in the U.S. Given the chance, everyone should go and experience that grandness and beauty these places offer. A popular National Park is the Great Smokey Mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Instead of staying in a hotel and away from the natural environment, many prefer to stay in lodging that’s surrounded by nature. If you are planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and looking for a luxurious and wheelchair accessible cabin to stay in, you might want to consider the Soaring Ridge Mountain Lodge.

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ADA Focus: Drinking Fountains

Posted on May 20, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off

Water Fountain 3

211 Drinking Fountains

211.1 General. Where drinking fountains are provided on an exterior site, on a floor, or within a secured area they shall be provided in accordance with 211.

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Podotone | Truncated Domes

Posted on May 19, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off
Podotone

Image: Marcal

Last month I wrote an article on a concept design product that had white cane detectable truncated domes. That product was a cobble stone that could be laid out in many different patterns and colors. But let’s say an architect, interior designer, or civil engineer, wanted the truncated domes to stand out visually. Or perhaps they wanted the truncated domes on a surface material such as wood or tile. In these cases the solution could be Podotone by French company Marcal. These truncated domes are fastened into place individually and can come in different colors.

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Posted in Assistive Technology, Stylish Products

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Bad Design Style: Case #14

Posted on May 18, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off

Seriously, who installs a piece of equipment at the top of ramp? Obviously the brain and designing hand were not communicating.

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Perspectives | 3D Terrain Puzzle for the Visually Impaired

Posted on May 17, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off

Jigsaw puzzles are a great mind exercising and fun activity enjoyed by many people. However they are not exactly accessible those who are blind or visually impaired. Some 3D puzzles do exist such as connecting Tetris like blocks together to form a cube or putting wooden sticks of different lengths into a box to fit. Canadian industrial design student Jacqueline Tollington has created her own 3D puzzle concept specially designed for people with visual impairments called Perspectives. A 3D jigsaw puzzle of real life terrains.

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Posted in Concept Designs, Visual Impairments

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New Movie Captioning Technology

Posted on May 16, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off
Captiview

Image: Doremi

With The Avengers earning over a billion dollars in ticket sales, it seems everyone is going to the movies. Even those that are hearing impaired and visually impaired. However the full accessibility of movie theaters has been an uphill battle. The ADA was originally not very clear on whether movie theaters had to offer movie captioning or audio descriptions. Through lawsuits and other actions, movie theaters have now received the message that they do need to make their theaters accessible. Two devices that are working their way into the major movie theater chains are Doremi’s CaptiView and Sony’s Access Glasses.

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Posted in Hearing Impairments, New Tech, Visual Impairments

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Cebien Shower Systems

Posted on May 15, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off
Cebien Lux

Image: Cebien

Part of what makes a shower accessible is getting water where it’s needed to wash away soap and grime. This is usually done with hand held showers that get water wherever your hand can get to. Shower systems are where the shower head, controls, and hand held shower are all designed together as a unit. If you’re looking for some stylish shower systems, take a look at these models from South Korean company Cebien.

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Posted in Architecture+Design, Bathroom, Residential, Stylish Products

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Roll-In Showers by Splash Galleries

Posted on May 14, 2012 by UniversalDesignStyle| Comments Off

A good place to see bathroom products in person are showroom galleries. While at some of these you will have to go through an interior designer, architect, or contractor to actually make the purchase, they are a great place to see and touch the products. Most plumbing showrooms now have experience in accessible bathrooms and will have mock-ups displayed. Splash Galleries in North Carolina is a showroom that works with its parent company Raleigh Plumbing and Heatingto construct and remodel bathrooms. Some of which are very nice looking roll-in showers that are featured below.

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