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Operations and Maintenance <br /> Continued <br /> K. Other Continued <br /> • Universal Design Guidelines- Beyond the ADA <br /> Universal design is a design philosophy that focuses on ensuring reasonable accessibility for all users beyond <br /> the typical definition which is often associated with a wheelchair user. The reality is that the majority of <br /> people with disabilities are ambulatory and do not require a wheelchair and the range of abilities and <br /> disabilities goes well beyond limited definition. <br /> The Enabler model brings to light the broad spectrum of disability <br /> concerns that must be considered if universal design is to be achieved. <br /> The model serves as a conceptual aid that helps designers and lay <br /> persons empathize with the people who will actually be using a site, _ <br /> building, or facility, and encourages a more comprehensive and <br /> integrated view of people with and without disabilities. <br /> Universal design attempts to consider all degrees of sensory - <br /> awareness, all types of locomotion, and all levels of physical and <br /> intellectual function in the design process. By doing so, the needs of individuals with varying desires, <br /> abilities,and expectations can be reasonably accommodated in an appropriate setting.The end result is that <br /> individuals with and without disabilities are accommodated in a manner that meets their expectations for <br /> a specific space or setting. This is distinctly different than simply accommodating a set of accessibility <br /> requirements that ensure compliance to the law,but may not ensure accessibility for all people. <br /> • Ensuring that a Design offers Universal Access Opportunities <br /> Since universal design is still an evolving approach to design,achieving universal access is simpler in concept <br /> than in practice. Anticipating the needs of people with varying degrees of abilities and disabilities is a <br /> formidable task,since it is often very difficult to understand the specific needs of individuals with different <br /> abilities when one does not share those limitations.Therefore,it becomes imperative that the design process <br /> include individuals that represent a cross-section of the people with and without disabilities.As the project <br /> moves into design implementation phases,efforts should be made to involve representatives of the divergent <br /> populations in the detail design of specific facilities.This approach helps ensure that the design for a given <br /> facility will actually serve the intended population. <br /> ISSUED Moll <br /> 12004 <br />