Record Details

Designing Functional Residential Interiors for Wheelchair Users

KrishiKosh

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Designing Functional Residential Interiors for Wheelchair Users
 
Creator Manisha Mohanta
 
Contributor MAHALAKSHMI V. REDDY
 
Subject Designing, Functional, Residential, Interiors, Wheelchair
 
Description Barrier-free environment is a phrase to depict the accessibility for people with
disability as a vital aspect to independence; which can substantially increase the options
for establishing one’s own routine of daily living and working activity without additional
assistance. The present scenario of increasing number of population with locomotive
disabilities emphasizes the importance of creating a built-environment for conducive
living. Builders, architects and interior designers who are the ultimate providers of
barrier-free environment in buildings should ensure building standards and guidelines in
the design to meet the needs of users.
Given their history of segregation and isolation, the right to full participation in the
community is one that people with disabilities value very highly. However, in order to
participate in the life of the community, a person needs to get around. Hence the
present study on “Designing functional residential interiors for wheelchair users.” was
proposed with the following objectives:
1. To observe the existing residential building design features in the homes
of wheelchair users.
2. To explore the views of wheelchair users on the functionality of the
existing design features
3. To evolve appropriate interior design solutions through computer graphic
models for the wheelchair users.
Hyderabad city, the Capital of Andhra Pradesh was identified for conducting the
research. The ex-post facto research design was used to progress in research. Ten
adult wheelchair users were selected as respondents through purposive random
sampling technique for conducting case-studies. An interview cum observation sheet
was developed to explore the views of wheelchair users on the functionality of existing
design features in residential buildings. The data was collected through direct personal
interview and observation, was analyzed to evolve appropriate design solutions.
Findings of the study indicated that, there were an equal number of male and
female respondents in this study. Respondents who were affected with polio and victims
of accidents were four each and another two were sufferers of cerebral palsy or
paralysis. All of them had problem with lower limbs and six among them also had
problems with upper limbs and deformed facial bones. Polio and cerebral palsy affected
members had prolonged disability period while the rest were for less than 10 years.
Among the 10 respondents, seven were young adults in the age group of 20-30
and four were married. All of them had the support of either parental or conjugal family
except one who opted to live independently. All the respondents had formal education,
except one. Five among them have completed either graduation or post graduation,
while two more are pursuing post-graduation. Two of the respondents were engaged in
managing their own family enterprise while one respondent was employed outside the
home. Except one respondent, all of them belong to middle or upper-middle income
group. Regarding management of their daily chores, seven of them needed assistance
in toilet activities and clothing management, while four persons looked-for assistance in
activities like bathing and grooming, cooking and home management.
Equal number of respondents lived in Independent houses and apartments. All
the participants reported their partial satisfaction with adaptations introduced in the
home. Everyone had problem in accessing toilets bath area, personal room, kitchen and
approach area outside the house. Detail analysis of every feature in the home revealed
their dissatisfaction with provisions like ramp, curb ramp, door design, kitchen counter,
storage shelves, circulation path, toilet, bath, position of faucet and due to the problems
like difference in floor level, presence of threshold, narrow doorways, inaccessible
storage areas, switch controls and kitchen counter and faucets, inaccessible toilet and
bath area. Respondents of the study gave their personal suggestions to overcome these
barriers in their homes. Most of the suggestions were for improving conditions in bath
and toilet area, kitchen, approach area to home and accessibility to storage provisions
and switch controls in all the rooms.
It was observed that the selected residential buildings did not possess many
design features as per standards and guidelines meant for wheelchair users. So, design
guidelines and standards suggested by various authors and authorities were
considered, for evolving design solutions to overcome the problems expressed by the
respondents. Design solutions suggested in this study are presented in the form of
computer graphical drawings in AutoCAD 2007. Necessary plan and perspectives for
each functional area of the house were evolved independently by incorporating the
design solutions and these were unified to create a model residential house plan.
From the present study it can be concluded that residential buildings should
ensure accessibility features to meet the needs of end-users. The design solutions
proposed in this research can be incorporated in any residential building to improve
functionality. There are several ways of humanizing the residential buildings like -
altering an existing house with suitable modification, building an additional portion or
buying a new home to provide a satisfactory and self-dependent life.
 
Date 2016-07-30T11:03:36Z
2016-07-30T11:03:36Z
2008
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/70218
 
Language en
 
Relation D8538;
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD