“True” Accessibility Barriers of Heritage Buildings

Abstract

Heritage buildings, which symbolize the pride of a nation, were built prior to the development of current standards, including those for accessibility. As nations strive for equity, diversity, and inclusion, creating barrier-free environments, including heritage buildings, becomes imperative. This study aims to identify the “true” accessibility barriers of heritage buildings. Accordingly, a three-part study was conducted: review current standards and best practices; document and investigate the accessibility lived experiences of people with different abilities in heritage buildings; and analyze and discuss the data. The findings revealed that 19%, 17%, and 64% of reported “true” barriers per building were attributed to the conflict between accessibility and heritage preservation, accessibility standard clarity/specificity, and accessibility standard compliance, respectively. In comparison, accessibility-trained professionals attributed 16%, 39%, and 45% of their assessments to the same categories. A significant number of accessibility barriers in heritage buildings can be mitigated by applying current standards. The accessibility needs of people with cognitive/intellectual disabilities are the least addressed and understood by the standards and accessibility-trained professionals.

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