By Ron Wickman (Gemma B. Publishing, 2020)
Ron Wickman is a passionate advocate for accessible architecture that goes beyond the minimum requirements of the Building Code. Having grown up with a parent with a mobility impairment, Wickman learned the limitations of the built environment for those with disabilities at an early age. His 1991 Master?s thesis at the Technical University of Nova Scotia focused on barriers to accessibility, and he has since forged an Edmonton-based practice specializing in barrier-free design.
Neither an academic nor a comprehensive work, Accessible Architecture is a plea to the architecture profession for mindful design that is inclusive for all. Written in a personal and anecdotal style, the book?s six chapters include nine concepts for creating accessible architecture, and eighteen case studies from the author?s practice that illustrate his approach. Of note is chapter four, which defines the clients for accessible architecture as those with visual, hearing and cognitive limitations?in addition to those with mobility limitations. While the book articulates a message that needs to be heard by the architecture profession and those engaged in architectural education, what is missing for this reviewer is a grounding in the increasingly large canon of research and resources created by those engaged in accessible design, disability studies, and related organizations. For example, the book could have included references to the Canadian Institute for t...