Access to the Historic Environment: Meeting the Needs of Disabled People by Lisa Foster (1-Dec-1995) Hardcover

by Lisa Foster

Access for diabled people in historic settings is more than just a temporary ramp over the front steps for a wheelchair user. It is a commitment to create integrated use and enjoyment of cultural and civic historic monuments for everyone, including people with mobility or sensory impairments, the elderly, parents with small children or those temporarily disabled as a result of illness or injury. Access legislation is already in place in many countries and will shortly be implemented in the UK, resulting in increased pressure to improve access to historic buildings.This book examines flexible and pragmatic solutions to improve circulation in buildings by overcoming level changes, addition of handrails and other facilities which achieve the basic goal of dignified access, and which protect a building's special architectural character. It features practical guidelines and illustrated case study material, with examples of how to improve access in different types of historic buildings, including terraced houses, classical buildings, historic monuments, country houses, gardens and landscapes.

Hardcover

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Imogen Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of case studies at every turn, although widely out-dated. While Foster makes acknowledgement early on that access is far more than physical, it is essentially all that her book focuses on. It is at least a decent entry into how sites have improved physical access.