By DAC NW
A Washington State University mechanical engineering student team designed a wheelchair obstacle course for DAC NW to raise awareness for non-wheelchair users about the challenges that those with disabilities face daily. The course demonstrates architectural barriers common in urban infrastructure, such as high door thresholds, uneven surfaces, overhanging shrubbery, round doorknobs, and slick surfaces.
Built out of aluminum sheets, plywood reinforcement, and steel railings, the course requires that a person in a wheelchair navigates through a door and then around tight corners on unfriendly surfaces.
This new obstacle course replaces an older one made of wood from University of Idaho that had become unsafe. Always a popular event at different venues, it will be brought out into the public throughout the next year.
“The idea is the general public has a limited understanding of what creates barriers to someone with mobility issues,” said Executive Director Mark Leeper. “This course will present them with the challenge of navigating barriers that people who use wheelchairs face everyday.”
The new course is about 20’x30′ and is made of 4′ modular panels that can be put together in different ways. Barriers like opening a door on a slope, heavy thick turf, and potholes illustrate the need for barrier removal throughout a community.
Besides going to general events open to the public, it will be used by the City of Pullman this month to help their public works employees. The Public Works Department regulates, builds, and maintains the public sidewalks and rights-of-way within the city. The Community Development Department regulates the building codes in Pullman and on WSU campus. Both teams oversee various elements of accessible routes and access requirements regulated by various federal and state codes. They feel this experience will help their staff understand these challenges when they enforce the regulations in the development, design, and construction of accessible public facilities.
“This is a perfect use for the obstacle course,” commented Leeper. “Our mission is to help people with disablities to live independently in the community. When the entire community works together to remove barriers, it means more people can be independent.”
Disability Action Center received donations for the course from Lewiston Eagles 631 Nez Perce. This enabled the team of students from WSU to purchase an entrance and exit ramp and all materials needed to build the course.