Design for Dignity: Accessible Environments for People with Disabilities

A guidebook to architectural design for accessibility, this book is heavily illustrated to convey both individual details as well as the overall design of spaces and how they work or don't work for disabled users. The case study format presents numerous built projects arranged according to building types including houses, schools, churches, theaters, stadiums and offices and describes how they have fared in real life.

Lebovich, an architectural historian and photographer, has fashioned a book of extraordinary import and beauty on the design aesthetics of inclusion. Taking as his impetus the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which mandated the removal of access barriers to, and accommodation of, handicapped individuals in public spaces, he discusses and demonstrates the possibility and elegance of accommodation. Profusely illustrated to highlight the design feature, his book shows private homes, schools, museums, hospitals, public areas, and government buildings. It is both a book of ideas and a demonstration of the thought processes of the featured architects. Sen. Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) provides a foreword, detailing the affirmation that "universal design" not only includes disabled individuals but improves the quality of life for all. A list of information sources, architects, and designers is included. Highly recommended for design and architecture collections.
- Alex Hartmann, Bloomsburg Univ. Lib., Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.