Assignment 2.1 (Getting in the Door)

I studied the entrances to Evans hall, which are similar to that of Few Hall. There are three ways to get into the building. The most common entrance is the one between the two buildings. A problem with this route though, is the steps that lead up to Evans, making this inaccessible to chair users and a more difficult path for those with visual impairment. Residents of Few Hall however have a side entrance door before reaching the stairs that lead up to the main entrance. The back door from Evans is a faster shortcut for those residents, but the stairs between the tennis courts and McDonough field, and the fact that this entrance is in the stairwell can present a problem. The last route that takes the longest to walk, so it is rarely taken, leads you around Few Hall to the main doors. There are no steps making it accessible to those unable to use the stairs on the other paths. The main doors entering the building are another concern. They have vertical handles that need to be grasped and pulled with effort to open.  These doors are also not handicap accessible in that they don’t open automatically. The doors however, are wide enough for people in wheelchairs to fit through, just hard to open when alone. These aren’t universally designed like other entrance doors and can cause some students issues when trying to enter or exit the building.