NYU Steinhardt x NYU Facilities x NYU IT
Responding to multiple complaints about NYU bathrooms not being accessible, Alfred Ng (Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management) connected with Anita Perr (Clinical Associate Professor, Steinhardt) in a DIA meeting to collaboratively devise a solution.
Step 1: Anita had her Occupational Therapy Graduate students survey all bathroom and general use facilities in three major NYU buildings. They collected data in both observational and experiential ways, asking questions such as: Can I get in easily? Can I turn comfortably? Can I push the doors? Is the room large enough?
Step 2: Alfred’s team compiled the surveys into a quantitative data set which could be analyzed. The data was grouped by three categories, in terms of the magnitude of access issues.
Step 3: Together with NYU IT, the group devised a notification system to be incorporated into the NYU Mobile App, thus enabling students with accessibility concerns to quickly orient themselves to the most appropriate facilities nearby.
While this solution cannot replace the more important long-term goal of providing more inclusive bathroom facilities on campus, the innovative thinking of DIA group members and their students has offered a workable pathway to change, implementable within only a few weeks.
Further, owing to the success of the project, Anita Perr has since commissioned her students to survey all entrances of NYU owned and rented buildings. This includes evaluating ground surfaces and changes in level, clearance width, door hardware and opening capacities, communication systems and instructions/notifications regarding accessible entries. 166 entrances were assessed in total, and the group are currently formulating their recommendations for building improvement works and further staff training.