| Title |
An Evaluation of Accessibility in Public Convenient Facilities based on the Disabled User Experience - Focus on the community center - |
| Keywords |
Accessibility ; The disabled ; User experience ; Public convenient facilities ; Community center |
| Abstract |
The objective of this study is to investigate the difference between the standard 'design guideline' in barrier free laws for the disabled and the disabled's real experience in public convenient facilities. It is mainly focused on accessibility by the disabled people who use an electric motion wheel chair, a wheel chair and crutches as well as a visual impaired person in the public resident centers. For this purpose, four resident centers in Busan have been selected as the objects of investigation. We observed and video recorded the disabled people with various handicaps to access and use facilities in four resident centers, and interviewed them afterwards. We found out problems from the perspective of the disabled and figured out the difference between barrier free laws and the disabled's real experience. The research result is as follows. First, it is important to make the arrangement of public convenient facilities according to the flow of the user's movements. Second, it is necessary to provide better conditions for the disabled to access the public toilet easily and conveniently. Third, it is essential for public convenient facilities to be more strictly controlled by regulations. Fourth, we need to make better standards that could reflect real experiences of various disabled users. Fifth, we need to keep providing the best follow-up service for the disabled in terms of using public convenient facilities safely. This study can contribute for designers to understand specific users through their experiences and suggest improvement ideas for better public convenient Facilities. |