The Rise of Barrier-free Architecture
An analysis of the architectural response to the evolution on of building codes and regulations following the Disability Rights Movement in the United States of America (1950s-1990s)
A.M. Lund (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
A Broekhuizen – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / A)
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Abstract
The building regulations that shape today’s standards of modern architecture have a remarkable historic background that may often be overlooked. What some young architects may perceive as guidelines that are constraining to the design process, are in fact the result of decades of activism for a more inclusive built environment. While architecture may not be often associated with the political realm, its crucial role in the fight for disability rights is undeniable. Following the chronology of the Disability Rights Movement, this thesis explores the key political, architectural, and academic events that played a part in the journey towards the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. In exploring and reiterating their direct correlation, this analysis will focus on understanding the architectural response to the Disability Rights Movement and its resulting impact in the American school system.