A Night of the Arts: A Physical Environment Assignment

A Night of the Arts

By Mary Kate U.

On my date, I took my friend Caleb, who is not disabled but we paid attention to our surroundings as if we both were.  We started off the night at Olive Garden in Kennesaw, then went into Atlanta for the Flux Art Festival and ended the night at his place for some one-on-one time.

I choose to have our date at olive garden because it is firstly, one of my favorite restaurants but it is also one that is disability accessible. Comfort: at the entrance of the restaurant there is a wheelchair access. The building had double doors, which allows for wheelchairs to move through easily. They also had several wheelchair accessible tables, and wide hallways, making it very safe and comfortable to move about the space.  After having dinner, we headed to Atlanta for the Flux Art Festival, where the real fun happened.

The Flux Art Festival took up about six blocks of downtown Atlanta. In these six blocks there were over twenty different performance art pieces that you were able to see. Activity: the activity at the festival was huge. There were around six thousand people participating in the festival, people walking, singing, dancing, and talking everywhere. 

The Accessibility of the space was not very good. You could not move freely in the streets due to there being so many people. The roads were pretty flat, but you were constantly weaving your way through all the people. From a disability view, there was no way a person in a wheelchair could successfully make it through, and actually enjoy the festival. As I mentioned before, Crowding was a big issue. Constantly surrounded by people, the only way to move pushing your way through until a small space cleared up so you could stand. Crowding does not bother me, but I can see how someone being disabled or even someone who is not could feel trapped and uncomfortable in the situation.

Legibility: with people constantly moving it was vey difficult to conceptualize spatial relationships and effectively find your way through the environment. There were also performers in the streets that moved and would take up a lot of space. It was also hard to judge where they were going, so you could stay out of their way.

So far it sounds like this date was a nightmare because there were so many people, but some of the things I enjoyed the most were the social and sensory aspects of it. Sociality: by there being so many people in an open space, you were able to talk and engage with anyone you wanted to. Most of the art pieces were interactive, so as a group of people, you were able to share in this special experience of enjoying art together. It was a fun community building experience. Not only were you able to share in this experience with others, the 

Sensory Stimulation was so amazing. There was a piece that had twenty decorated lamps that lit up in certain patterns according to the music. It was really spectacular to watch. All the pieces had bright colors and lights that interacted with your senses.

Lastly, we had Privacy: after the festival we went back to his place because I live on the third floor of an apartment building with no elevator, and he has a wheelchair accessible entrance on the bottom floor of his house. We just spent time hanging out and watched a movie to end our adventurous night. 

East Lake Commons

                                                                                            Morgan Lee

For this assignment I choose to go on the field trip to East Lake Commons. I am glad that I choose to go, because I felt as though I was a not only a nice outing but that I also learned some new Information about it. In the beginning, actually, all the way up until like 15 minutes into the tour I thought that we were visiting a community that had houses designed for people with disabilities and that was all that was going to be living there. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a community just like any other neighborhood; only the houses were built differently.

            The goal when they got together and decided to build this community was that they would have basic access in all of the new houses. What they are talking about in this is that they have at least on entrance to the house that is zero step and that they have at least 32 inches of space in the doorways. This is where Accessibility comes into play. Accessibility is an ease in movement through and use of an environment. Providing these stepless entrances and wider doors allows someone with a wheelchair or even someone who has bad joint pain to come into the house without getting stuck or needing help up the stairs.

            The Activity level in the neighborhood was rather high. Activity is the perceived intensity of ongoing behavior within an environment. The kids are constantly interacting with the environment. Many of the children are homeschooled so there were a lot of them out running around playing when we came to visit. The closeness of the houses allowed the kids to roam the neighborhood in comfort without the need to worry about streets and cars. Comfort is the extent to which an environment provides sensory and mobility fit and facilitates task performance. I believe that in this case the task being sought out to be performed was the kids playing. To me crowding came about as well due to the close proximity of the houses. Crowding is defined as the unpleasant experience of being spatially cramped. This is all in the eye of the beholder though. I personally would not enjoy having my neighbors that close to me, but the residences there seemed to enjoy it! Control is the extent to which an environment facilitates personalization and conveys territorial claims to space. The control factor is in this community is present when you pull onto the street. It is a gated community so you are not able to enter unless you have a code to do so. They are controlling who has access to their community. There is not much privacy to be had if you choose to live there. You cannot really be outside without being seen by someone else. It seemed as though there was a good amount of sensory stimulation in their community. The houses were not all the same color or style and the houses were all decorated differently which always gives you something new to look at when walking around. Sociality is a big point in this community. No one is able to pull right up into their garage and walk right in their house. It was designed so it facilitates communication among everyone. There’s is no easy in and out so if you are not someone who enjoys talking to neighbors, this is definitely not the community for you! Thank you for the allowing us the option to go on this visit for our assignment!

            

East Lake Commons

By: Quinn Trail

My time at East Lake Commons was different than what I had been expecting. To start, I thought that East Lake Commons was a place for disabled people to reside and it is, however ONLY the homes are built with easy accessibility should a disabled person decide to live there. The homes were built to be easily accessible and the community strives to be a sustainable community. East Lake Commons has a community garden for residents to eat local produce and support the local farmer that farms there! The lady who started the community took pride in the meaning of East Lake Commons. It seemed like she really wanted to keep the community thriving by bringing people together and making sure people felt comfortable.

The first thing I noticed about East Lake was the accessibility provided in each home. Doors were wide enough for people with wheel chairs to enter and there were no steps along the porches to enter homes. I had never thought about doors and steps as being a hindrance for people who are either older or disabled! However, doors and steps are what hinder disabled people from being able to enter homes! The sidewalks were easily accessible by being wide enough for one to go around the whole neighborhood without having to step on a step.

            Yet, I noticed East Lake Commons exhibiting two contrasting things: privacy and sociality/activity. To the normal urban dweller, East Lake Commons is very private! It is an enclosed, gated housing community. It almost feels like being away in another world. Although the houses are a little crowded together, the fact that this housing community is in the city but yet makes you feel far away gives you a little feeling of privacy. But, although I felt privacy I certainly didn’t feel isolated. The neighborhood was very active! There were people outside hanging out in their yards and children running around. The people at East Lake all seemed to know one another. East Lake Commons also had a community garden and a community center. One of the requirements that residents have to do at East Lake Commons is to volunteer in the community at least 4 hours a month. I think that allows people to come together and work together to make the comfortable setting thriving.

            East Lake Commons provides comfort to the residents by allowing the homes to be accessible. The rooms are very spacious allowing easy access from living rooms to kitchens. The hallways are wide. Again, there are no steps in the homes. People can come and go through rooms very easily. Although East Lake Commons sounds like it only allows disabled residents to live there, despite easy accessibility East Lake Commons also provides residents with adaptable homes. People who are perfectly healthy live in this community. Though the homes were built for easy accessibility, the homes are also made to entice young, middle-aged, and old people to live! The homes are open to everyone wanting to live in a cohousing community.

            Overall, my visit to East Lake Commons was very interesting. I had never been in a cohousing community and was very delighted to discover the warm environment that poured out from the people living there. 

KSU Day at the Braves game

By: Whitney Constien

       For my assignment I chose to use my dad as my date. Currently, my dad is disabled due to a 
broken foot. He has to use a scooter or walker to get around and it sometimes makes going out to places hard. My family already had an outing to KSU Day at the Braves game, and my dad was going in a wheelchair. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see how accessible the stadium was to those that are disabled. 

Accessibility           

Once we arrived at Turner Field the workers were very helpful in getting my dad to the appropriate seating. The accessibility of the stadium was easy for my dad to maneuver around. There were elevators located next to the stairs and relatively close to the seats we were at. Our seats were right behind second base and although our tickets said general admission seats, which are usually much higher up, the ushers led us to the disabled seating section closer to the field. This section had a place for my dad to sit as well as for the rest of us.  

Activity

           In the section we were sitting in, we did not have to deal with people climbing over us to get out or back in like we would have if we sat in normal seating. The small area also allowed my family to spread out and move around during the game. We were close enough to other people to feel included in the game, but yet we felt like we had enough personal space to interact as a family at the same time.

had enough personal space to interact as a family at the same time.

Crowding

            One issue we had at the game was the amount of people there were, which is not unusual at a baseball game. However, with my dad in a wheelchair the excess of people made us get around slower when going to the bathroom or to get food.

Sociality

            As I previously said, the designated area we were in allowed us to have our personal space but still allowed us to interact with others attending the game. At one point in the game I sat next to dad and I was able to talk to him in a normal voice instead of having to scream. Normally we would have had to talk louder or in each other’s ears to have a conversation.

Legibility

            During the game we were able to see the scoreboard and other screens clearly from where we were sitting. The only time we had a problem with this was when the sun was setting because we were sitting in the direction it was setting. 

Meaning

             The meaning of going to the game with my dad was special for me. We both share a love for baseball, it is something we are able to bond over.

Adaptability

            I was very impressed with the stadium’s staff and their willingness to adapt to our needs. They made our experience much more enjoyable. The other fans at the game adapted to my dad’s wheelchair whether we were going to get food or the bathroom. They would make room for us to get by and sometimes even allow us to go in front of them. 

Conclusion

This was a great experience for my family and I. I know have more respect and empathy for those who deal with this daily. It takes a lot of work, and I think it is great that our society is learning to adapt. 

Brenda Dugan's accessible date with my associate

September 28, 2013

Community Intervention

Accessible Date

Brenda Dugan

Myself and an associate had an outing at the North Georgia County Fair in Marietta.  Accessibility throughout the park was diverse. Some areas were congested due to the crowd of people at particular rides and vendor sites.  There were thick cables partially covered by mats that could be stumbled over easily if a person has some challenges walking. Because my associate's gait was slower than a non-handicapped person, it took longer to get to booths and attractions.  It was not easy  for her to have control of her own space because of clusters of people in many areas.  Often times someone would accidentally bump into her and she would bump into others as well . Children would run past her on their way to get on rides.  At one point she seemed as though she would lose her balance when walking through the crowd. Many people were at the fair and crowding was an issue in some areas.  Some people were bumping into each other as they were attempting to get to other locations. Space was further compromised when we purchased something to eat and needed to navigate to an area to sit down to enjoy our food. For this woman legibility would have been a greater concern if she was at the park without an escort.  There was a great deal of stimuli in that environment.  There were a lot of people, animals, food, bright lights, colorful rides, musical rides and sounds coming from a variety of games.  This event has significant meaning to her because it is an annual event that she has attended for many years and despite some inconvenience, she seemed to enjoy being there. The fair offers an overwhelming amount of sensory stimulation as a result of all of the attractions, bright colors, lights and sounds that were heard everywhere we went.  It was very easy for my associate to get distracted and she had to be redirected a few times.  There was no privacy at the fair.  It is designed to attract many people.  There was some opportunity for sociality at the fair.  Many of the vendors would make attempts to get people to come to their booth. When we would go to a booth, the person working there would take time to acknowledge the person who was with me. In some areas of the park it was more difficult to hear anyone speaking to you because of  people talking, music and loud sounds coming from the games and rides.

When we left the fair, we went to my home where there was more privacy. Legibility and accessibility was easier for my associate.  There was less crowding in my home so my associate did not have to compete for space.  This created  comfortable environment.  She was able to experience a sense of control because all of the attention and focus was on her.  This was meaningful to her because she was able to enjoy the arts and crafts in an environment that wasn't crowded or noisy. 

Going to the Fair

Kaitlin Lange

September 28, 2013

HS 3300- Professor Overstreet

Accessible Date Assignment- The Fair

            For my accessible date, I went to the fair and then back home to watch TV with my boyfriend. At the fair, we rode rides and ate a funnel cake. I found the fair to be accessible to be able to move around but it would be kind of hard. For instance, there were no stairs or anything to get around the fair but because it was so crowded, it would be hard to get through everyone to get from one place to another. The fair was not a very adaptable place for a person with disability to attend. If the person could not get to a table to eat, or get to a place in the park, it would be near impossible to reorganize anything to accommodate them. The fair would not be a comfortable place for a person with a disability most likely. The fair is very loud and has a lot going on all at once. For me, the fair held little to no meaning but for other people it could hold some meaning. It could be a place where they grew up and went to every year with their family. At the fair, there is no privacy. The most privacy you could get would be to go into a bathroom stall by yourself. The fair has a lot of sensory stimulation. Most of the rides have blinking lights flashing constantly, there is usually a concert or music playing, and there are people yelling for people to come play their games. All of this happening could cause someone with a disability to become overwhelmed, have a seizure, or more. The fair allows for a lot of sociality. There are so many people and while you wait in line for a ride or drink you usually end up talking to someone new.

            Once we left the fair and were at my boyfriends I realized how hard it would be to access my boyfriend’s house. All of the entrances have stairs and would not be wheel chair accessible. Also, once inside to get to a bathroom, you would have to walk up stairs. This was a good place for privacy because it was just us and his grandparents there. His house was a comfortable place because it did not have all of the people or noise and I could just relax. We had control over our environment at his house and it was more adaptable. For example, we could have taken ply board he had to make a ramp over the stairs for someone with a disability. 

            Overall this date probably would have been hard for someone that would have been in a wheelchair. At the fair, they may have been able to get around and see the fair, but they would not have been able to ride the rides or play the games unless they were at sitting level. Also, the loud noises and blinking lights might have been a little too overwhelming. Going back to my boyfriend’s house would have been more comfortable for someone in a wheel chair because it is quiet and somewhere to relax. The only problem would have been getting into the house and getting them to the restroom if they needed to go. Overall my date would not have been the best choice for someone with a disability.  

There's No Such Thing as Normal

For my assignment, I decided to ask a guy friend of mine, who is in a wheelchair, if he would like to go on a “friend date” with me. We decided to go out to eat at Sweet Tomatoes, then went bowling, and ended the “date” grabbing coffee at Starbucks.

Accessibility:

The accessibility as the restaurant was easy for my friend maneuver his wheelchair through because they had a wheelchair ramp and handicap parking so we were able to park close to the entrance. We picked this restaurant because the salad bar is very open and       spacious, so his wheelchair could fit through easily. It was also easy for Matt to adapt well at Starbucks because they have a wheelchair ramp, handrails and a larger table specially designed and labeled to be wheelchair accessibl

Adaptability:

The other customers in the restaurant eating didn’t mind my friend being in a wheelchair at all. I helped him with putting the servings on his plate because the salad bar items were a little high for him and the food items far bar were hard to reach. Doing this may have taken a little longer, but no one seemed to mind. I fixed our drinks for us because it is hard for my friend to hold a drink and wheel himself at the same time. However, he was able to easily fix himself a plate of rolls and other foods in another section of the restaurant because he places the food in his lap while he maneuvers his wheelchair with his hands.

Activity:

We chose to go bowling because it is all on one floor level so we didn’t have to worry about stairs or anything, and also because the layout was wide enough for a wheelchair to fit through. It was great to see that Matt had fun because he was able to just place the bowling ball on the side of his wheelchair and swing his arm without any trouble at all. They also have bumpers and the bowling balls were placed on shelves low to the ground so they were easy to grab.

Crowding:

The Brunswick bowling center wasn’t too crowded because we decided to go on a weeknight, and we didn’t hold anyone up since we got to go at our own pace. The bowling alley was also wide enough so Matt didn’t feel crowded or cramped in his wheelchair. Matt also didn’t feel crowded in the restaurant because it was so open that he was able to wheel himself around without getting in anyone’s way.

Sensory Stimulation:

All three locations offered infinite sensory stimulation. The Brunswick bowling alley is visually stimulating because it is decorated with  bright colors, televisions, arcade games and also the noise of the bowling balls hitting the pins. Brunswick also played music in the background. Sweet Tomatoes was decorated with posters of decadent food, had bright lighting in the food

 serving areas and had delicious smells of food.

Starbucks was also decorated with pictures of coffee beans and had the delicious smell of fresh coffee in the air.

Privacy:

We had good privacy at Starbucks because the coffee shop is an environment in which people can have personal conversations. We sat at a table that was more open than others because it was spacious enough for a wheelchair to back in and out. Sweet Tomatoes also had good privacy because no one could hear our conversation with the music and cooking food in the background
and it is a self-serve restaurant so a server didn’t
interrupt us.

Sociality:

We were close enough to other tables at Sweet Tomatoes to engage in a conversation, but I usually don’t talk to strangers while they’re eating. People would just get their food and then talk with their friends. At Brunswick bowling, we talked with people that were beside our lane to see who was winning and the techniques they had to offer us. It was a very open environment to social with others. Starbucks was also open as well to start a conversation with people because of its open layout, but I didn’t want to bother someone if they were studying or having a serious talk.

Control:

There is little one could control at Sweet Tomatoes because it is public territory. However, one could somewhat control how many times they wanted to bowl at Brunswick. They could stay on the same lane as long as they paid for it. I believe one could also have a little control at Starbucks by holding a table for hours on end.

Conclusion:

This experience gave me a whole new perspective on how people with a disability function in daily activities. I definitely have a lot more respect with people who struggle with minimal tasks everyday. This is a great assignment and I’m glad I got the opportunity to do it!