Creating an inclusive environment that benefits business owners, consumers and employees

By Amy Bentley, policy director, Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement; Kevin Nordmeyer, AIA – principal, BNIM; Jason Kruse, AIA – associate, BNIM

Photos by Duane Tinkey

Over the last year, companies have embarked on conversations seeking solutions to make the workforce more diverse, systems more inclusive and office environments more adaptable. At the same time, Americans are paying attention to the social aspects of business as never before. Disability inclusion, as realized through universal design, is a vital component to any conversation on creating equity within our organizations and systems. 

All of these things have been top of mind as we’ve worked over the past two years to thoughtfully create the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, new home of the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement at Drake University. It is named for Harkin Institute founders Ruth Harkin and Sen. Tom Harkin, who represented Iowa in Congress for 40 years before retiring in 2015. 

As lead sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and a lifelong disability rights advocate, Sen. Harkin challenged us to construct one of the most inclusive buildings in the world. We embarked on a mission to fully understand and employ universal design. But we didn’t do it alone. 

There is a common saying in the disability community: “Nothing about us without us.” It was in this spirit that we tapped the institute’s existing disability policy advisory committee to inform the building design. This group is composed of disability leaders and advocates representing a wide swath of the disability community from across the country, and they continue to advise the institute on our programs and policies regarding accessibility. 

The general lack of intentionality regarding inclusive design became immediately clear when we asked committee members what they consider important components of an accessible space. Their first reaction? “No one ever asks us.”

Through months of interacting with this community we have learned many things. They emphasized that ADA compliance is a starting point in achieving inclusion, not the end. They challenged us to think beyond basic compliance to create a truly inclusive setting. 

Perhaps the most striking feature at the new Tom and Ruth Harkin Center is the two-story Nelson Ramp that circles the gallery, creating a natural pathway for all people to move through the space together, regardless of mode of passage. Unlike other ramps that are added as an alternative for those who aren’t able to use the stairs, the ramp at the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center serves as the primary route between the gallery and event space on the first floor and the offices on the second.

Accommodations should not be treated as an afterthought provided upon request. The goals of the design should enable anyone entering the space to have access to needed supports without having to ask for them. Everyone should be able to use the space the same way – regardless of whether they have a disability. 

The institute’s disability advisory committee challenged us to think about what universal design could really mean for built environments today and in the future. 

Universal design is a concept that expands thinking beyond base accessibility requirements of the ADA and other regulations. It considers qualities of space and concepts that make buildings gracious, understandable and accessible by all people. 

Not every person who needs an accommodation uses a wheelchair, yet many times this becomes the default consideration. As Sen. Harkin likes to say, ability is a spectrum and our position on the spectrum changes over time. Many of us will have low vision, hearing problems or challenges with mobility at some point in our lives, and universal design must embrace this broad spectrum of needs. 

As we began design for the project, we found valuable resources, including DeafSpace principles pioneered by Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and low vision design strategies by the National Institute of Building Sciences. However, unlike other trends in commercial design – such as sustainability – comprehensive resources on universal design are not yet part of leading building rating systems and frameworks.

We decided to organize universal design concepts into qualitative strategies and are continuing to develop a supportive design guide for future projects. These qualitative strategies in the guide include generous space, equitable experiences, a clear path and individual empowerment. 

• Generous spaces ensure someone does not have to ask for accommodations, provide appropriate path widths and provide places to rest. 

• Equitable experiences solve the function necessary in the most inclusive way possible. Meeting rooms with circular table arrangements and single-user restroom access help demonstrate how to provide equal opportunities for all building users. 

• A clear path allows for an environment that is intuitive to the building user, from how someone enters a building to how room signage communicates the right information in an effective format. 

• Individual empowerment means there are no limitations in one’s ability to use a space. That means providing proper technologies for those with impaired hearing and creating variety in furniture configurations to allow for choice throughout a facility. 

The coronavirus pandemic has helped us realize that universal design strategies can contribute to a healthier working environment for everyone. Features like more generous hallways and spaces, individual restrooms, touch-free doors and devices, larger elevators and higher levels of air filtration allow people at the Harkin Institute to maintain social distance and healthy spaces. 

Embracing universal design isn’t just about the social good. It makes smart business sense. Earlier this year, the Iowa Business Council said Iowa’s worker shortage is “bordering on a crisis.” Tapping into Iowa’s pipeline of workers with disabilities is crucial to helping address the state’s workforce challenges. 

Nearly one in four Iowa adults has some type of disability and they face an unemployment rate that is twice that of nondisabled workers, even though many are qualified and eager to work. 

Creating physical settings where Iowans with disabilities can engage and utilize their skills productively is imperative to helping our businesses be their most productive as well. 

Finally, disability voices are too often left out of the conversation when it comes to the built environment. In your own spaces, engage and learn from disability groups throughout the building design process and continue this engagement as you learn to use the space. This will allow you to create a truly inclusive environment that benefits the business owner, consumers and employees.