Category Archives: Bad Design Style

Cases of attempts at universal design that were designed and/or constructed poorly.

Bad Design Style: Case #63

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Alright we got a couple of problems here with this ramp. But really it’s not the ramp itself that’s the problem, it’s where it is and what’s around it. Sure there could be some improvements to the ramp but the slope looks alright, there’s a landing, and the concrete work looks good. However using it to get inside the gas station could prove challenging.

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Bad Design Style: Case #62

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Alright so with this house entrance the brickwork looks amazing.The landscaping looks equally as good and everything works well together. Except that the entrance and sloped paths are described as being wheelchair accessible. Which of course is not entirely accurate.

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Bad Design Style: Case #61

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Okay, so in the picture above I added the red word “NOT”. Because I wouldn’t say that this house is exactly 100% wheelchair accessible. The house itself is a vacation property rental that claims wheelchair accessibility because of this wooden ramp put in the back. Well there are some safety and accessibility issues here.

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Bad Design Style: Case #60

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Here we have vacation lodging on the coast of South Africa. A few modifications were made to make the building wheelchair accessible. Which I do applaud them for. However it’s not quite right and could’ve been done better. Starting with the ramped entrance which appears to be concrete poured on top of existing stairs. Which is fine except that at least from this angle the slope is a little too steep. At the top is a nice sized landing for the doors. The bottom of the ramp however leads to gravel. At the least, a concrete pad should be installed for vehicles to pull up to.

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Bad Design Style: Case #59

Photo Apr 16, 7 32 27 PM

This is the picture of a restaurant I went to the other day (Sorry for the blurriness. Didn’t realize it was that blurry till I uploaded the photo). A place I’ve gone to before at another location and this was my first time at this location. The food  I will first say is absolutely delicious and fresh. But this is Bad Design Style and the focus here is the entrance to get in. What’s the problem? Well it’s the revolving door which is not wheelchair accessible.

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Bad Design Style: Case #58

what part of wheel chair ramp did you not understand

Usually when something is being modified, it is being improved for the better. Not often is it made worse or where things stay the same. Well that’s what we have here with a headslapper of a modification. Making stairs accessible with a ramp … AND STAIRS!

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Bad Design Style: Case #57

Stairs Tjuvholmen

One of my favorite regions and style of architecture comes from Scandinavia. They combine modern with nature better anyone else in the world. And no I’m not talking IKEA. Unfortunately this ramp/stairway combination out of Oslo, Norway fails in its accessible functionality. Yes it looks modern and beautiful, but for a wheelchair user the ramp/stair combination is potentially dangerous.

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Bad Design Style: Case #56

Photo Mar 27, 6 03 42 PM

On occasion for my work I will do ADA assessments and look into potential violations. So ever since I started my job, by habit I look for ADA violations or poor planning. The other day I stopped by the grocery store and noticed this while going towards the store. A drainage grate in possibly the worst place possible, at the end of an access aisle for accessible (handicapped) parking spaces. As you can see in the picture below, the grate slots are big enough for the front wheels of a manual wheelchair to fall into.

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