When designing inclusive healthcare facilities, ADA requirements should be the starting point, not the final goal, according to an article on the Metropolis website.
A recent Metropolis Think Tank event, held at the Boston offices of HDR, addressed how architecture and design professionals can design for humanity.
Oz Mondejar, vice president of talent management at Partners HealthCare and disabled himself, said it's all about recognition and economic power: “I am a consumer. I bring my whole self to work. And I bring my money to where I’m welcome.”
Jessica Stebbins, a health-care principal at HDR who helped design Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood, said treating the disabled as equal citizens is at the core of ADA and accessibility issues. Designers should create spaces that facilitate social engagement among diverse groups, she said.
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