"Inclusive Facilities: Navigating Challenges and Celebrating Diversity in Sports and Recreation" was presented by managing director of LPA Design Studios Nicholas Casolari, director of parks and recreation at City of West Sacramento Kate Smith and Design Director of LPA Design Studios Winston Bao. The speakers used specific case studies to highlight the importance of inclusive design and walked attendees through the process of going the extra mile for accessibility.
The speakers kicked things off by saying, "when you think about it, inclusive design is really about undoing unnecessary barriers that create separation between different groups of people."
Designing for everyone, and not just the 'standard' is the best way to ensure that a diverse group of participants to utilize your facility. For some, the first thing that may come to mind is building codes, or as Kate Smith put it, the "what do I have to do?" And Smith suggests going beyond that question to ask your stakeholders, "what should we do?"
The answer to that question can be found in the recent renovation of Sacramento State University where Smith previously worked in recreation.
Recently, when discussing inclusivity in facilities, the conversation often turns to bathrooms. Speakers broke down the pros and cons of various bathroom signs. They said, "when you are looking at creating signage, and trying to be more inclusive, start focusing on the activity that you want people to do in that space." Put simply, a bathroom is about the act of going to the bathroom, not about gender.
For signage in particular, signs that are both to code and going the extra mile should also include brail, room numbers and graphics. Truly inclusive restrooms should include ADA compliant bathroom stalls, wider doorways and ADA changing tables to name a few.
When it comes to the preferred set up of bathrooms, the presenters shared the results of a 2022 survey of U.S. workers that asked them to identify their preferred lay out of restrooms from the traditional, gender separated spaces to fully private bathrooms and dynamic spaces with circulation. Overwhelmingly, the survey showed that the fully private bathrooms were preferred.
Outside of bathrooms, the presenters also discussed the importance of designing for neurodiversity. They called on the previous day's tour of the LSU recreation center as an example because of the facility's sensory room where students can go to step away from the hustle and bustle of the building. Built with frosted glass for privacy, low lighting and several seating options, the room offers users with sensory sensitivities a place to unwind.
To close the session, Casolari left attendees with this message, "when I'm thinking about inclusive design, and I'm thinking about designing for all, it's not just a sign. There's a lot more to it than the signage."
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