Why DeafSpace Now?
Why is DeafSpace as an area of formal study and architectural practice emerging now? There isn’t one specific reason, as far as I know.
One likely factor is the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a law which prohibits discrimination against all people with disabilities, and which includes standards for accessible design (as of 1991) ("1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design," 1991). For example, under the ADA, physical barriers that restrict or obstruct access to public buildings must be removed.
In 2010, revised accessibility standards for the ADA were published, entitled "2010 Standards for Accessible Design." In 2012, compliance with these new standards became mandatory for new construction and alterations ("ADA Standards for Accessible Design," 2010).
DeafSpace has also been fueled by the growing interest in Universal Design. Ronald Mace, an architect working at North Carolina State University, coined the term in 1997, defining it as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” ("About UD," 2008).
A further factor may be that the baby boomer generation is nearing retirement ("Making Your Space 'Deaf Friendly,'" 2011). Such a large portion of the population includes people with many different needs, and just as there is growing interest in creating retirement homes and communities that cater to, for example, the LGBTQ community, there may be more interest in creating retirement spaces that respond to the needs of the Deaf community.
While the Deaf community has long advocated for their rights in the fields of education, accessible information, and many other arenas, perhaps the built environment was not seen as a priority. However, DSP has sparked the minds and imaginations of architects and students. Gallaudet graduate student Matthew Malzkuhn is examining how Deaf homeowners design new homes or renovate existing homes to "fit their deaf ways of being" ("Deaf Space," 2007) in his thesis. DSP student participant Ryan Commerson states, "Deaf people have never had a place of their own in terms of architectural ownership, so my interest was piqued by an opportunity to create a space that reflects our identity" ("Deaf Space," 2007). He continues, "For me, the Deaf Space project is just one more validation that being deaf is truly a great thing; that being a visual-tactile oriented member of a collectivist culture has something of value that can be shared with the world" ("Deaf Space," 2007).
It will be fascinating to see how this confluence of architecture and identity develop in years to come.
This video discusses DeafSpace in terms of Deaf Gain:
One likely factor is the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a law which prohibits discrimination against all people with disabilities, and which includes standards for accessible design (as of 1991) ("1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design," 1991). For example, under the ADA, physical barriers that restrict or obstruct access to public buildings must be removed.
In 2010, revised accessibility standards for the ADA were published, entitled "2010 Standards for Accessible Design." In 2012, compliance with these new standards became mandatory for new construction and alterations ("ADA Standards for Accessible Design," 2010).
DeafSpace has also been fueled by the growing interest in Universal Design. Ronald Mace, an architect working at North Carolina State University, coined the term in 1997, defining it as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” ("About UD," 2008).
A further factor may be that the baby boomer generation is nearing retirement ("Making Your Space 'Deaf Friendly,'" 2011). Such a large portion of the population includes people with many different needs, and just as there is growing interest in creating retirement homes and communities that cater to, for example, the LGBTQ community, there may be more interest in creating retirement spaces that respond to the needs of the Deaf community.
While the Deaf community has long advocated for their rights in the fields of education, accessible information, and many other arenas, perhaps the built environment was not seen as a priority. However, DSP has sparked the minds and imaginations of architects and students. Gallaudet graduate student Matthew Malzkuhn is examining how Deaf homeowners design new homes or renovate existing homes to "fit their deaf ways of being" ("Deaf Space," 2007) in his thesis. DSP student participant Ryan Commerson states, "Deaf people have never had a place of their own in terms of architectural ownership, so my interest was piqued by an opportunity to create a space that reflects our identity" ("Deaf Space," 2007). He continues, "For me, the Deaf Space project is just one more validation that being deaf is truly a great thing; that being a visual-tactile oriented member of a collectivist culture has something of value that can be shared with the world" ("Deaf Space," 2007).
It will be fascinating to see how this confluence of architecture and identity develop in years to come.
This video discusses DeafSpace in terms of Deaf Gain: